. 


. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 
Getty  Research  Institute 


https://archive.org/details/rumfordfireplaceOOrumf 


FIREPLACES 


This  little  book  is  dedicated  to 


Benjamin , Count  of  Kumford 
and  to  the  fire  that  -warms  men's  soles. 


Return  from  the  Hunt — Louis  Leloir. 
Collection  of  John  Jacob  Astor,  New  York. 


RUMFORD 


FIREPLACES 

AND 

HOW  THEY  ARE  MADE 


BY 

G.  CURTIS  GILLESPIE,  M.  E. 
Architect 


Containing  Benjamin  Count  of  Rumford’s  Essay  on 

Proper  Fireplace  Construction” 


A plea  for  a more  general  consideration  of  the  form  and 
proportion  of  a very  much  neglected  feature  of  our 
Homes  and  Buildings,  with  i_ea>ly  two  hundred 
illustrations,  including  the  original  Rumford 
drawings,  diagrams  for  fireplace  construc- 
tion, and  numerous  ancient  and  modern 
mantels  and  fireplaces,  one  hundred 
andiron  designs  and  other  de- 
tails and  fixtures  together 
with  Preface  and  ex- 
planatory notes. 


New  York 

WILLIAM  T.  COMSTOCK 
1906 


Copyright  by 
G.  Curtis  Gillespie 
1906 


In  the  hope  of  making  what  other- 
wise might  be  a rather  warm  and  dry  sub- 
ject more  attractive  and  interesting,  I have 
strewn  promiscuously  throughout  these 
pages  numerous  pictures  bearing  upon  fire- 
places and  mantels  for  some  of  which  I am 
indebted  to  the  John  Lane  Company,  “The 
International  Studio,”  outside  cover,  pages 
42-156-192;  “The  Architectural  Record” 
page  56,  and  to  the  “American  Architect  ” 
page  33- 

G.  CURTIS  GILLESPIE,  M.  E. 

ARCHITECT 


The  Fireplace  Crane 

The  lights  are  out,  and  gone  are  all  the 

guests  ^ 

That  thronging  came  with  merrjm£nt\  \ 
Nand  jests  *'  ( ,S 

To  celebrate  the  Hanging^oL  the"  ) 
Crane  / 

In  the  new  house,  — into  the  night  are' 


gone, 


l But  still  the  fire  upon  the  hearth  hOchs 
- ’ on,  J (p  >N( 

And  1 alone  remain^  ) CCjf 

O fortunate,  O haj^py  day, 

'[([When  a new  household  finds  its  place 
k/f/Asnang  the  myftaddxWs  pf  earth, 

IJi  / Like  a new  stanUst^mn^tp^ir|:h,  ^ 
And  rolled^/(ts^aBmoni6urw^'y  " ' 
v" ' ” ’ mdle^realm^oTspace  I 

guests  irTSpeech  and  song' 
Mechimney;  burning  bright, 
unffthe  iron  crane  to-nightf^fjj 
nd  merry  was  the  feast  and  longjP 

“The  Hanging  of  the  Crane  "j 


— Longfellow. 


INTRODUCTION. 


^H°n  t}ie  Aborigines’  fire  on  a rock, 
the  steps  in  the  development  of  the 
2 fireplace  have  been  slow  and  far  be- 
tween. The  crude  devices  smoked 
their  dens,  they  still  smoke  our 
homes.  Poet  and  prose  writers  have  sung 
and  written  not  of  a disappointment,  but  of 
an  ideal  fireplace,  one  that  is  a pleasure  to 
behold,  love  and  appreciate ; to  dream  be- 
fore and  measure  every  distance  through 
the  gateways  of  the  world  around,  one  of 
good  cheer,  that  extends  an  wholesome 
welcome ; are  you  cold,  warms  you ; hun- 
gry, feeds  you,  and  makes  the  poorest  shan- 
ty as  pleasant  as  a palace.  They  write  not 
of  its  smoking,  chilly  draughts,  dust  and 
noxious  gases. 

Architects  have  designed  all  manner  of 
“frozen  music,”  much  of  it  “ragtime”  to 
be  sure,  and  have  spent  fortunes  on  man- 
tels purporting  to  beautify  this  hole  in  the 
wall,  endeavoring  to  make  the  fireplace 
meet  the  poets’  sentiments,  all  to  no  end — 
“music”  and  “ragtime”  are  smoked  alike. 
And  vet  ideal  fireplaces,  handsome,  sur- 


6 


THE  FIREPLACE 


rounded  with  appropriate,  tasteful  frames 
and  shelves,  can  and  have  been  built ; the 
poets’  songs  realized  and  revived,  with  all 
of  the  objectionable  features  eliminated. 

The  perfect  open  fire  must  diffuse  and 
reflect  a maximum  heat  from  a given  quan- 
tity of  fuel  without  the  escape  of  smoke  or 
unhealthy  gases  into  the  room  to  be  heated 
and  at  the  same  time  ventilate  uniformly. 
By  experiment  I have  demonstrated  to  the 
fullest  extent  that  the  form,  proportion,  and 
material  of  a fireplace  have  everything  to  do 
with  the  successful  accomplishment  of 
these  ends,  and  that  any  deviation  from  set 
rules  cannot  be  advantageously  made,  and 
that  fireplaces  so  built  do  not  need  draught 
regulating  dampers  or  other  mechanical 
contrivances  than  andirons  for  holding  the 
wood,  grates  for  coal,  and  gas  logs  for  gas. 
With  the  sides  or  covings  of  the  proper 
depth  and  proper  angle  to  the  back,  the 
breast  and  throat  of  the  requisite  height  in 
proportion  to  the  Ayidth  of  the  opening  in 
front,  very  surprising  results  are  obtained 
and  leave  nothing  whatever  to  be  desired ; 
especially  when  they  are  made  of  a material 
which  will  reflect  rather  than  retain  heat. 
Fortunately,  of  late  a newly  manufactured 


THE  FIREPLACE 


7 


product  has  been  put  upon  the  market 
which  meets  all  of  the  requirements  for 
fireplace  construction.  This  substance  is 
largely  composed  of  asbestos  and  is  made 
in  large  slabs  which  can  be  cut  and  moulded 
into  the  necessary  shapes,  while  being  very 
hard,  smooth,  light  in  color  and  weight. 
It  is  fireproof  in  every  sense  of  the  word ; 
a perfect  insulator  and  will  not  warp  or  get 
out  of  shape  under  most  severe  conditions. 
This  material  now  makes  it  possible  for 
fireplaces,  including  the  sloping  flue  connec- 
tion, to  be  manufactured  in  a knocked- 
down  condition,  shipped  to  any  destination 
and  set  up  in  place  by  an  inexperienced 
person,  and  fireplaces  already  built  can  be 
readily  altered  to  receive  the  new  forms, 
and  for  new  ones  the  forms  may  be  installed 
while  the  chimneys  are  being  built.  This 
should  entirely  eliminate  all  of  the  difficul- 
ties now  experienced  through  faulty  con- 
struction of  improper  material. 

As  I have  remarked,  large  sums  of 
money  have  been  spent  on  mantels,  on  the 
frame  of  the  picture,  while  the  fireplace  it- 
self has  cost  nothing,  and  is  more  often 
than  otherwise  an  asset,  as  it  costs  less  to 
leave  the  opening  in  the  chimney  than  to 

* .///.T-S 


& 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Jfc 


fill  it  with  brick.  I would  suggest  that 
where  economy  is  of  vital  importance 
that  less  be  spent  on  the  mantel  and 
more  on  the  fireplace.  Fireplaces  built  of 
the  material  above  mentioned  I will  grant 
do  cost  more,  and  yet  they  can  be  manu- 
factured and  sold  at  so  small  a figure  that 
from  a viewpoint  of  appearance  alone,  and 
from  the  sincere  satisfaction  derived,  they 
become  an  even  greater  asset  than  where 
the  cost  is  nil  for  something  which  is 
neither  sightly  nor  operative. 

Several  years  ago  I had  occasion  to  build 
a house  for  James  R.  Steers,  Esq.,  who  was 
deeply  interested  in  this  subject  of  fireplaces 
and  who  brought  to  my  notice  a book  of 
essays  by  Count  of  Rumford,  and  among 
them  one  on  fireplace  construction  and  alter- 
ation. My  main  object  in  publishing  this 
little  book  is  to  reproduce  this  essay  in  the 
hope  that  it  will  be  inwardly  digested  bv  the 
architect,  the  layman,  and  the  builder,  and 
that  it  will  at  least  in  a measure  help  to  im- 
prove the  condition  of  a very  important  and 
much  neglected  feature  of  our  homes. 

And  while  the  Count’s  essay  was  written 
over  a hundred  years  ago,  it  still  holds  good 
as  I can  amply  testify  from  many  practical 


THE  FIREPLACE 


9 


experiments  in  houses  in  which  I have  built 
and  used  fireplaces  constructed  on  the  iden- 
tical lines  laid  down  by  him  in  his  instruc- 
tions. -There  seems  to  be  nothing  which 
may  be  judiciously  cut  out  of  his  quaint  de- 
scriptions, all  of  which  should  prove  of  in- 
finite interest  and  enlightenment  to  those 
interested  in  the  subject.  Of  course,  that 
part  referring  to  a provision  for  chimney 
sweeps  will  be  of  no  service  nowadays.  I 
have  had  ample  opportunity  to  test  to  the 
fullest  extent  a fireplace  five  feet  wide 
placed  in  the  center  of  the  interior  long 
side  of  a room  I7rx28'  exposed  on  three 
sides,  with  eight  large  windows  and  no  cel- 
lar. The  house  was  built  at  Watermill,  L.  I., 
and  stands  on  a high  knoll  near  Mecox 
Bay,  fully  open  to  the  most  rigorous 
weather,  and  is  an  ordinary  frame  shingled 
house- — the  shingles  carried  down  to  within 
two  inches  of  the  ground  so  as  to  leave  the 
underside  of  the  floor  and  beams  exposed 
to  the  outside  temperature.  In  this  room, 
with  the  thermometer  at  zero  outside,  we 
have  enjoyed  a temperature  of  seventy  de- 
grees from  a small  bundle  of  wood  no  larger 
than  might  be  conveniently  grasped  in  the 
two  hands,  and  with  larger  and  more  wood 


iM 

W 


tPxO  n- 


10 


THE  FIREPLACE 


THE  FIREPLACE 


11 


the  temperature  at  the  farthest  corners  was 
readily  run  up  to  eighty  degrees  and  the 
air  maintained  in  the  room  pure,  fresh  and 
wholesome.  The  results  were  really  sur- 
prising and  far  better  than  may  be  had  from 
any  other  form  of  fireplace.  This  house, 
by  the  way,  was  provided  with  no  other 
heating  device  than  fireplaces.  There  are 
seven  of  them,  and  all  quite  as  satisfactory 
as  the  one  referred  to.  In  my  practice  I will 
not  consent  to  a fireplace  being  built  other- 
wise. I have  used  and  experimented  with 
many  since,  and  speak  of  this  house  in  par- 
ticular as  an  extraordinarily  severe  test. 

I found  much  difficulty  in  getting  a 
mason  who  would  follow  my  drawings 
and  instructions  to  the  letter,  and  as  a mat- 
ter of  fact,  in  this  particular  house  the 
chimneys  and  fireplaces  had  to  be  rebuilt 
three  times  in  order  to  have  my  drawings 
followed  exactly.  All  other  forms,  such  as 
square  jambs,  improperly  formed  backs  and 
coves,  make  the  fireplaces  smoke,  at  the 
same  time  not  giving  out  as  much  heat. 

Preliminary  to  the  Count’s  essay  I wish 
to  portray  my  deductions  from  his  able  dis- 
course with  a few  perspective  views  to  give 
a clear  conception  of  the  proper  form  as 


/M. 


12 


THE  FIREPLACE 


THE  FIREPLACE 


13 


14 


THE  FIREPLACE 


finally  recommended  on  page  156,  which 
calls  into  favor  the  forward  slope  of  the 
back  and  its  return  at  the  throat  to  the 
back  plane  of  the  flue,  thus  giving  a flat 
shelf  at  this  point,  marked  A in  the  sev- 
eral views  shown  on  the  following  pages. 
Figure  1 is  a perspective  view  of  the  front 
of  a fireplace  showing  the  hidden  features 
in  dotted  lines.  Figure  2 is  a sectional  view 
of  the  same,  showing  the  plan  on  the  floor 
and  the  internal  form  somewhat  more 
clearly;  and  Figure  3 is  an  amplification  of 
figure  2,  giving  a ranging  view  as  observed 
from  left  to  right,  gradually  opening  some 
features  as  others  are  covered — giving  a 
better  idea  of  the  form  to  the  lay 
mind  than  mere  plans,  sections  and  ele- 
vations do.  The  internal  form,  while 
very  simple  in  itself,  does  not  seem 
to  be  readily  grasped  by  the  ordinary 
brick  layer,  and  in  building  fireplaces  of 
brick  I have  often  been  compelled  to  ac- 
tually do  it  myself  in  order  to  get  the  proper 
forms  in  their  proper  places  and  to  have 
them  true,  straight  and  smooth.  This  diffi- 
culty and  the  fact  that  while  brick  is  only 
fairly  useful,  and  iron  entirely  bad  for 
the  purpose,  gives  me  reason  to  strongly 


THE  FIREPLACE 


15 


\ / 


i/ 


16 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Fig. 


THE  FIREPLACE 


17 


recommend  fireplaces  built  in  single  slabs 
from  the  material  previously  mentioned. 
The  advantages  are  so  much  superior  that 
the  difference  in  cost  cannot  well  be  con- 
sidered. 

In  figures  4,  5,  6 and  7,  I have  given 
illustrations  of  a fireplace  built  up  in  this 
manner,  showing  clearly  the  method  of 
shaping  the  parts  to  be  secured  together  by 
clamps  formed  of  the  same  material  and 
bolted.  The  facility  with  which  these  sev- 
eral pieces  may  be  assembled,  set  in  place 
and  backed  up  with  brick  and  cement  will 
naturally  appeal  to  anyone  at  once  as  being 
the  most  likely  and  satisfactory  solution  of 
the  numerous  difficulties  to  be  overcome. 

Figures  8 and  9 show  respectively  two 
fireplaces  having  openings  5 feet  and 
3 feet  wide.  My  experience  convinces 
me  that  the  width  of  the  openings  must  de- 
termine all  of  the  other  proportions,  and 
while  these  two  diagrams  may  appear  to 
vary  somewhat  from  Count  Rumford’s  de- 
scriptions, they  do  so  only  as  and  where  he 
permits  it.  None  of  his  diagrams  show  his 
complete  theory,  although  the 


description  makes  the  form 
obvious;  and  Fig.  10  is  a 


/'y 


18 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Fig.  4.  Fig.  r>. 


Fig.  6. 


Fig.  7. 


THE  FIREPLACE 


19 


fireplace  with  a 3-foot  wide  opening  laid 
out  according  to  his  instructions.  This 
makes  a fireplace  only  one  foot  deep,  which 
is  hardly  deep  enough  for  fires  in  large 
rooms.  This,  however,  he  provides  for  by 
increasing  the  thickness  of  the  breast,  as 
shown  in  Fig.  9,  this  being  also  a 3-foot 
opening  and  more  commodious  when  it  is 
desired  to  burn  wood  instead  of  coal,  the 
former  requiring  more  space. 

I have  included  a portrait  of  Count  Rum- 
ford,  the  father  of  proper  fireplace  construc- 
tion, and  the  title  page  of  his  book;  also 
throughout  a number  of  cuts,  plates  and 
pictures  which  should  be  of  interest  as 
pertaining  to  the  subject  in  hand.  I wish 
to  emphasize  the  fact  that  the  Rumford 
fireplace  here  treated  of  is  merely  a thor- 
oughly satisfactory  old-fashioned  fireplace 
which  owes  its  benefit  to  its  relative  form, 
size  and  proportion  and  to  nothing  else. 


An  old  Grate  in  the  City  Barge  Post- 
House,  Cheswick,  Eng. 


20 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Fig.  8. 


T H E FIREPLACE 


21 


Fig.  10. 


SECTII 


22 


THE  FIREPLACE 


FD  RMOKV  JR . 

A Plain,  Simple,  Colonial  Fireplace. 


THE  FIREPLACE 


23 


Chaste,  Simple,  Colonial,  in  black  or  white. 


24 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Unique  modern  design  of  wood  mantel  and  brick  arched 
fireplace. 


THE  FIREPLACE 


25 


Modern  mantel  with  marble- 
faced fireplace,  somewhat  elabor- 
ate though  tasty  and  effective, 
either  in  natural  wood  or  in  col- 
ors. 


Me/./.  £■/•  J)//r 


The  mantel  design  on  the  oppo- 
site page  shows  a neat  conception 
for  a simple  and  practical  effect 
in  white  enamel. 


nnnnr— in 


THE  FIREPLACE 


27 


28 


THE  FIREPLACE 


J771L  rfmtfyiiClMdPmtlJjffl' 


The  mantel,  shelf,  mirror  and 
columns  surrounding  a Rumford 
fireplace  on  opposite  page  is  a de- 
sign which  I have  used  in  several 
houses  to  very  good  effect  where 
a Colonial  treatment  is  desired. 


THE  FIREPLACE 


29 


30  THE  FIREPLACE 


The  mantel  and  fireplace  de- 
sign on  page  31  shows  a modern 
treatment  in  colored  or  enameled 
brick  which  is  severely  plain 
though  quite  satisfactory  where, 
such  an  effect  is  desired. 

The  fireplace  between  the  win- 
dows with  sunken  shelf  is  rather 
unique. 


32  THE  FIREPLACE 


The  cut  on  the  next  page  is  il- 
lustrative of  two  Colonial  man- 
tels, and  shows  particularly  the 
method  employed  by  architects 
and  designers  of  making  working 
drawings  and  general  details  for 
the  cabinet-maker  to  build  from. 
Mantels  are  usually  made  and  put 
together  in  the  shop  and  shipped 
to  the  building  thoroughly  com- 
plete, varnished  or  painted  ready 
to  put  in  place,  but  usually  do  not 
comprise  any  particular  facing 
for  the  fireplace,  this  being  left 
for  selection  according  to  the  gen- 
eral color  effect  of  the  room  where 
the  mantel  is  to  go. 


THE 


FIREPLACE 


33 


34 


THE 


FIREPLACE 


Figure  11,  on  the  following 
page,  shows  two  fireplaces  de- 
signed to  be  built  of  fireproof 
slabs,  secured  and  joined  together 
ready  for  installation,  strictly  ac- 
cording to  the  dimensions  and 
proportions  as  laid  down  by  Count 
Rumford.  One  is  for  an  opening 
three  feet  wide  and  the  other  for 
one  three  feet  six  inches.  Atten- 
tion is  called  to  the  particular  an- 
gle of  the  sides,  the  narrowness 
of  the  back,  and  the  depth,  also 
the  high  and  smooth  roundness 
of  what  the  Count  calls  the 
breast;  in  these  two  cases  this  is 
a quarter  circle  of  eight  inches 
radius. 


THE  FIREPLACE 


c)ec-f  iof) 


3G 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Figure  12  on  the  opposite  page 
shows  also  two  slab  fireplaces  sim- 
ilar to  Figure  11,  having  open- 
ings respectively  four  and  four  feet 
six  inches  wide.  Attention  is 
called  to  the  fact  that  the  breasts 
are  no  deeper  and  have  the  same 
radius.  However,  the  backs  are 
somewhat  wider  while  the  depths 
remain  the  same,  thus  throwing 
the  heat  as  far  into  the  room  as 
possible  without  permitting  the  es- 
cape of  smoke  or  gas  into  it.  The 
entire  fireplace  is  only  16  inches 
deep. 


,! 


?>J 


THE  FIREPLACE 


■4-6  a 9"  S reaij^  Sec-ftoi} 


38 


THE 


FIREPLACE 


Figure  13  shows  Count  Rum- 
ford’s  proportions  for  two  five-foot 
fireplaces,  one  having  an  eight- 
inch  breast  and  one  a twelve-inch 
breast.  The  latter  is  twenty 
inches  deep  instead  of  sixteen, 
and  is  preferable  where  large  logs 
of  wood  are  to  be  burned  in  fairly 
large  rooms  or  halls.  Attention  is 
called  to  the  fact  that  in  the 
deeper  fireplace  the  back  is  con- 
siderably narrower,  caused  by  the 
retaining  of  a proportionate  angle 
between  the  sides  and  the  back. 


THE  FIREPLACE 


39 


£)-0  x 1Z  j£5  rfcc.o.i'. 

Fig.  13. 


cJec-K  o r) 


40 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Primitive  Hearth. 


THE  FIREPLACE 


41 


42 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Astroells,  Northamptonshire. 


THE  FIREPLACE 


43 


Norman. 


44 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Modern  Renaissance. 


II ! 


ESSAYS, 


POLITICAL , ECONOMICAL , 


PHILOSOPHICAL. 


By  BENJAMIN  Count  of  RUMFORD, 

KNIGHT  OF  THE  ORDERS  OF  THE  WHITE  EAOI.E,  AND  ST.  STAMSIAGS 
Chamberlain,  Privy  Counfcllot  of  State,  and  Lieutenant- Geneva*  in  the  Service 
af  hit  Mojl  Serene  H.gbneft  the  ELECTOR  EaLATINF,  Reigning  Du  KE 
•/"BAVARIA  ; Colonel  of  hit  Regiment  of  Artillery,  and  Commander  in 
Chief  of  the  General  Staff  of  bit  Army  ; F.  R.  S.  Acad.  R. 

Hibcr.  Berol.  Elec.  Boitoc.  Palat.  ct  Amcr  Sot 


Cl)c  JTira  Hmencan, 

Jfrom  tbe  CftirD  lon&on,  €Ditioiu 

POL.  1. 


BOSTON; 

Printed  by  Manning  (s’  Loring, 

For  DAVJD  WEST.  Sold  at  his  Book-ftore,  No.  56, 
Comhill ; by  Ebenezer  S.  Thomas,  Charkjlon , S.  Carolin.1 ; 
and  by  Solomon  Cotton  & Co.  Baltimore. 


MARCH,  1798, 


CHAPTER  I. 

“The  plague  of  a smoking  Chimney  is 
proverbial ; but  there  are  many  other  very 
great  defects  in  open  Fire-places,  as  they 
are  now  commonly  constructed  in  this  coun- 
try, and  indeed  throughout  Europe,  which, 
being  less  obvious,  are  seldom  attended  to ; 
and  there  are  some  of  them  very  fatal  in 
their  consequences  to  health ; and,  I am 
persuaded,  cost  the  lives  of  thousands  every 
year  in  this  island. 


50 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Fireplace  in  the  House  Reading  Room,  Library  of 
Congress. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


51 


Those  cold  and  chilling  draughts  of  air 
on  one  side  of  the  body,  while  the  other  side 
is  scorched  by  a Chimney  Fire,  which  every 
one  who  reads  this  must  often  have  felt, 
cannot  but  be  highly  detrimental  to  health; 
and  in  weak  and  delicate  constitutions  must 
often  produce  the  most  fatal  effects. — I 
have  no  doubt  in  my  mind  that  thousands 
die  in  this  country  every  year  of  consump- 
tion, occasioned  solely  by  this  cause. — By  a 
cause  which  might  be  so  easily  removed ! — 
By  a cause  whose  removal  would  tend  to 
promote  comfort  and  convenience  in  so 
many  ways. 

Strongly  impressed  as  my  mind  is  with 
the  importance  of  this  subject,  it  is  not  pos- 
sible for  me  to  remain  silent. — The  subject 
is  too  nearly  connected  with  many  of  the 
most  essential  enjoyments  of  life  not  to  be 
highly  interesting  to  all  those  who  feel 
pleasure  in  promoting,  or  in  contemplating 
the  comfort  and  happiness  of  mankind. — 
And  without  suffering  myself  to  be  de- 
terred, either  by  the  fear  of  being  thought 
to  give  to  the  subject  a degree  of  import- 
ance to  which  it  is  not  entitled,  or  by  the 
apprehension  of  being  tiresome  to  my  read- 
ers by  the  prolixity  of  my  descriptions, 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Fireplace  in  the  Senate  Reading  Room,  Library  of 
Congress. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


58 


I shall  proceed  to  investigate  the  subject  in 
all  its  parts  and  details  with  the  utmost  care 
and  attention,  and  first  with  regard  to 
smoking  Chimnies : 

There  are  various  causes  by  which  Chim- 
nies may  be  prevented  from  carrying 
smoke ; but  there  are  none  that  may  not 
easily  be  discovered  and  completely  re- 
moved.— This  will  doubtless  be  considered 
as  a bold  assertion;  but  I trust  I shall  be 
able  to  make  it  appear  in  a manner  per- 
fectly satisfactory  to  my  readers,  that  I 
have  not  ventured  to  give  this  opinion  but 
upon  good  and  sufficient  grounds. 

Those  who  will  take  the  trouble  to  con- 
sider the  nature  and  properties  of  elastic 
fluids, — of  air, — smoke, — and  vapour, — and 
to  examine  the  laws  of  their  motions,  and 
the  necessary  consequences  of  their  being 
rarified  by  heat,  will  perceive  that  it  would 
be  as  much  a miracle  if  smoke  should  not 
rise  in  a Chimney,  (all  hindrances  to  its  as- 
cent being  removed)  as  that  water  should 
refuse  to  run  in  a syphon,  or  to  descend  in 
a river. 

The  whole  mystery,  therefore,  of  curing 
smoking  Chimnies,  is  comprised  in  this  sim- 
ple direction, — find  out  and  remove  those 


54 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Hall  Fireplace  for  Mr.  Sumner  McKnight. 
Minneapolis,  Minn.  Bertrand  & Keith,  Architects. 


COUNT  RUMFORD  55 

local  hindrances  which  forcibly  prevent  the 
smoke  from  following  its  natural  tendency 
to  go  up  the  Chimney ; or  rather,  to  speak 
more  accurately,  which  prevents  its  being- 
forced  up  the  Chimney  by  the  pressure  of 
the  heavier  air  of  the  room. 

Although  the  causes,  by  which  the  as- 
cent of  smoke  in  a Chimney  may  be  ob- 
structed, are  various,  yet  that  cause  which 
will  most  commonly,  and  I may  say  almost 
universally  be  found  to  operate,  is  one 
which  it  is  always  very  easy  to  discover, 
and  as  easy  to  remove, — the  bad  con- 
struction of  the  Chimney  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  Fire-place. 

In  the  course  of  all  of  my  experience  and 
practice  in  curing  smoking  Chimnies, — and 
I certainly  have  not  had  less  than  five  hun- 
dred under  my  hands,  and  among  them 
many  which  were  thought  to  be  quite  in- 
curable,— I have  never  been  obliged,  except 
in  one  single  instance,  to  have  recourse  to 
any  other  method  of  cure  than  merely  re- 
ducing the  Fire-place  and  the  throat  of  the 
Chimney,  or  that  part  of  it  which  lies  im- 
mediately above  the  Fire-place,  to  a proper 
form,  and  just  dimensions. 

That  my  principles  for  constructing  Fire- 


56 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Dining-room  Fireplace,  Mr.  Richard  Mortimer. 
Tuxedo,  N.  Y.  Hunt  & Hunt,  Architects. 


COUNT  RUMFORDl 


57 


places  are  equally  applicable  to  those  which 
are  designed  for  burning  coal,  as  to  those 
in  which  wood  is  burnt,  has  lately  been 
abundantly  proved  by  experiments  made 
here  in  London ; for  of  above  a hundred  and 
fifty  Fire-places  which  have  been  altered 
in  this  city,  under  my  direction,  within  these 
last  two  months,  there  is  not  one  which 
has  not  answered  perfectly  well. — And  by 
several  experiments  which  have  been  made 
with  great  care,  and  with  the  assistance  of 
thermometers,  it  has  been  demonstrated, 
that  the  saving  of  fuel,  arising  from  these 
improvements  of  Fire-places,  amounts  in 
all  cases  to  more  than  half,  and  in  many 
cases  to  more  than  two-thirds  of  the 
quantity  formerly  consumed. — Now  as  to 
the  necessary  alterations  in  Fire-places, 
which  may  be  made  at  a very  trifling 
expense,  any  kind  of  grate  may  be  made 
use  of,  and  as  no  iron  work,  but  merely 
a few  bricks  and  some  mortar,  or  a few 
small  pieces  of  fire-stone,  are  required ; 
the  improvement  in  question  is  very  import- 
ant, when  considered  merely  with  a view 
to  economy;  but  it  should  be  remembered, 
that  not  only  a great  saving  is  made  of  fuel 
by  the  alterations  proposed,  but  that  rooms 


58 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Fireplace  in  Belle  Vista  Castle. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


59 


are  made  much  more  comfortable,  and  more 
salubrious ; — that  they  may  be  more  equally 
warmed,  and  more  easily  kept  at  any  re- 
quired temperature; — that  all  draughts  of 
cold  air  from  the  doors  and  windows  to- 
wards the  Fire-place,  which  are  so  fatal  to 
delicate  constitutions,  will  be  completely 
prevented; — that  in  consequence  of  the  air 
being  equally  warm  all  over  the  room,  or 
in  all  parts  of  it,  it  may  be  entirely  changed 
with  the  greatest  facility,  and  the  room 
completely  ventilated,  when  this  air  is  be- 
come unfit  for  respiration,  and  this  merely 
by  throwing  open  for  a moment  a door 
opening  into  some  passage  from  whence 
fresh  air  may  be  had,  and  the  upper  part 
of  a window ; or  by  opening  the  upper  part 
of  one  window  and  the  lower  part  of  an- 
other. And  as  the  operation  of  ventilating 
the  room,  even  when  it  is  done  in  the  most 
complete  manner,  will  never  require  the 
door  and  window  to  be  open  more  than  one 
minute;  in  this  short  time  the  walls  of  the 
room  will  not  be  sensibly  cooled,  and  the 
fresh  air  which  comes  into  the  room  will, 
in  a very  few  minutes,  be  partially  warmed 
by  these  walls,  so  that  the  temperature 
of  the  room,  though  the  air  in  it  be 


60 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Fireplace  in  the  Residence  of  Phillip  S.  Henry,  Esq., 
New  York  City. 

Herts  & Tallant,  Architects. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


61 


perfectly  changed,  will  be  brought  to  be 
very  nearly  the  same  as  it  was  before  the 
ventilation. 

Those  who  are  acquainted  with  the  prin- 
ciples of  pneumatics,  and  know  why  the 
warm  air  in  a room  rushes  out  at  an  open- 
ing made  for  it  at  the  top  of  a window  when 
colder  air  from  without  is  permitted  to 
enter  by  the  door,  or  by  any  other  opening 
situated  lower  than  the  first,  will  see,  that 
it  would  be  quite  impossible  to  ventilate  a 
room  in  the  complete  and  expeditious  man- 
ner here  described,  where  the  air  in  a room 
is  partially  warmed,  or  hardly  warmed  at 
all,  and  where  the  walls  of  the  room,  remote 
from  the  fire,  are  constantly  cold ; which 
must  always  be  the  case  where,  in  conse- 
quence of  a strong  current  up  the  Chimney, 
streams  of  cold  air  are  continually  Coming 
in  through  all  the  crevices  of  the  doors  and 
windows,  and  flowing  into  the  Fire-place. 

But  although  rooms,  furnished  with  Fire- 
places constructed  upon  the  principles  here 
recommended,  may  be  easily  and  most  ef- 
fectually ventilated,  (and  this  is  certainly 
a circumstance  in  favour  of  the  proposed 
improvements)  yet  such  total  ventilations 
will  very  seldom,  if  ever,  be  necessary.— 


62 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Oak  Mantel  over  Fireplace  in  Library  of  Phillip  S. 
Henry  Residence. 

Herts  & Tallant,  Architects. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


(>3 


As  long  as  any  fire  is  kept  up  in  a room, 
there  is  so  considerable  a current  of  air  up 
the  Chimney,  notwithstanding  all  the  re- 
duction that  can  be  made  in  the  size  of  its 
throat,  that  the  continual  change  of  air  in 
the  room  which  this  current  occasions  will, 
generally,  be  found  to  be  quite  sufficient  for 
keeping  the  air  in  the  room  sweet  and 
wholesome;  and  indeed  in  rooms  in  which 
there  is  no  open  Fire-place,  and  conse- 
quently no  current  of  air  from  the  room 
setting  up  the  Chimney,  which- is  the  case 
in  Germany,  and  all  the  northern  parts  of 
Europe,  where  rooms  are  heated  by  stoves, 
whose  Fire-places,  opening  without,  are  not 
supplied  with  the  air,  necessary  for  the  com- 
bustion of  the  fuel,  from  the  room  ; — and  al- 
though in  most  of  the  rooms  abroad,  which 
are  so  heated,  the  windows  and  doors  are 
double,  and  both  are  closed  in  the  most 
exact  manner  possible,  by  slips  of  paper 
pasted  over  the  crevices,  or  by  slips  of  list 
or  fur ; yet  when  these  rooms  are  tolerably 
large,  and  when  they  are  not  very  much 
crowded  by  company,  nor  filled  with  a great 
many  burning  lamps  or  candles,  the  air  in 
them  is  seldom  so  much  injured  as  to  be- 
come oppressive  or  unwholesome ; and 


G4 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Another  View  of  the  Library  Fireplace  in  the  Phillip  S. 
Henry  Residence. 

Herts  & Tallant,  Architects. 


COUNT  RUMPORD 


65 


those  who  inhabit  them  show  by  their  ruddy 
countenances,  as  well  as  by  every  other 
sign  of  perfect  health,  that  they  suffer  no 
inconvenience  whatever  from  their  close- 
. ness. — There  is  frequently,  it  is  true,  an  op- 
pressiveness in  the  air  of  a room  heated 
by  a German  stove,  of  which  those  who  are 
not  much  accustomed  to  living  in  those 
rooms  seldom  fail  to  complain,  and  indeed 
with  much  reason;  but  this  oppressiveness 
does  not  arise  from  the  air  of  the  room  be- 
ing injured  by  the  respiration  and  perspira- 
tion of  those  who  inhabit  it — it  arises  from 
a very  different  cause : from  a fault, 
in  the  construction  of  German  stoves  in 
general,  but  which  may  be  easily  and  most 
completely  remedied,  as  I shall  show  more 
fully  in  another  place.  In  the  mean  time, 
I would  just  observe  here  with  regard  to 
these  stoves,  that  as  they  are  often  made  of 
iron,  and  as  this  metal  is  a very  good  con- 
ductor of  heat,  some  part  of  the  stove  in 
contact  with  the  air  of  the  room  becomes 
so  hot  as  to  calcine  or  rather  to  roast  the 
dust  which  lights  upon  it ; which  never  can 
fail  to  produce  a very  disagreeable  effect 
on  the  air  of  the  room.  And  even  when  the 
stove  is  constructed  of  pantiles  or  pottery- 


66 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Reception  Room  Fireplace  in  the  Phillip  S.  Henry 
Residence. 

Herts  & Tallant,  Architects. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


67 


ware,  if  any  part  of  it  in  contact  with  the 
air  of  the  room  is  suffered  to  become  very 
hot,  which  seldom  fails  to  be  the  case  in 
German  stoves  constructed  on  the  common 
principles,  nearly  the  same  effects  will  be 
found  to  be  produced  on  the  air  as  when 
the  stove  is  made  of  iron,  as  I have  very 
frequently  had  occasion  to  observe. 

Though  a room  be  closed  in  the  most  per- 
fect manner  possible,  yet,  as  the  quantity 
of  air  injured  and  rendered  unfit  for  further 
use  by  the  respiration  of  two  or  three  per- 
sons in  a few  hours  is  very  small,  compared 
to  the  immense  volume  of  air  which  a room 
of  moderate  size  contains ; and  as  a large 
quantity  of  fresh  air  always  enters  the  room, 
and  an  equal  quantity  of  the  warm  air  of 
the  room  is  driven  out  of  it  every  time  the 
door  is  opened,  there  is  much  less  danger  of 
the  air  of  a room  becoming  unwholesome 
for  the  want  of  ventilation  than  has  been 
generally  imagined ; particularly  in  cold 
weather,  when  all  the  different  causes  which 
conspire  to  change  the  air  of  warmed  rooms 
act  with  increased  power  and  effect. 

Those  who  have  any  doubts  respecting 
the  very  great  change  of  air  or  ventilation 
which  takes  place  each  time  the  door  of  a 


68 


THE  FIREPLACE 


The  Reception  Room  Fireplace  before  the  Mantel  Panel  was  Set. 

Herts  & Tallant,  Architects.. 


COUNT  RUMPORD 


69 


warm  room  is  opened  in  cold  weather,  need 
only  set  the  door  of  such  a room  wide  open 
for  a moment,  and  hold  two  lighted  candles 
in  the  door-way,  one  near  the  top  of  the 
door,  and  the  other  near  the  bottom  of  it; 
the  violence  with  which  the  flame  of  that 
above  will  be  driven  outwards,  and  that 
below  inwards,  by  the  two  strong  currents 
of  air  which,  passing  in  opposite  directions, 
rush  in  and  out  of  the  room  at  the  same 
time,  will  be  convinced  that  the  change  of 
air  which  actually  takes  place  must  be  very 
considerable  indeed ; and  these  currents  will 
be  stronger,  and  consequently  the  change  of 
air  greater,  in  proportion  as  the  difference 
is  greater  between  the  temperatures  of  the 
air  within  the  room  and  of  that  without.  I 
have  been  more  particular  upon  this  sub- 
ject,— the  ventilation  of  warmed  rooms 
which  are  constantly  inhabited, — as  I know 
the  people  in  general  in  this  country  have 
great  apprehensions  of  the  bad  conse- 
quences to  health  of  living  in  rooms,  in 
which  there  is  not  a continual  influx  of  cold 
air  from  without.  I am  as  much  an  advo- 
cate for  a free  circulation  of  air  as  any 
body,  and  always  sleep  in  a bed  without 
■curtains  on  that  account ; but  I am  much 


70  THE  FIREPLACE 


Modern  Fireplace,  New  York  City. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


71 


inclined  to  think,  that  the  currents  of  cold 
air  which  never  fail  to  be  produced  in 
rooms  heated  by  Fire-places  constructed 
upon  the  common  principle, — those  partial 
heats  on  one  side  of  the  body,  and  cold 
blasts  on  the  other,  so  often  felt  in  houses 
in  this  country,  are  infinitely  more  detri- 
mental to  health  than  the  supposed  closeness 
of  the  air  in  a room  warmed  more  equally, 
and  by  a smaller  fire. 

All  these  advantages,  attending  the  in- 
troduction of  the  improvements  in  Fire- 
places here  recommended,  are  certainly  im- 
portant, and  I do  not  know  that  they  are 
counterbalanced  by  any  one  disadvantage 
whatsoever.  The  only  complaint  that  I 
have  ever  heard  made  against  them  was, 
that  they  made  the  rooms  too  warm;  but 
the  remedy  to  this  evil  is  so  perfectly  sim- 
ple and  obvious,  that  I should  be  almost 
afraid  to  mention  it,  lest  it  might  be  con- 
sidered as  an  insult  to  the  understanding 
of  the  person  to  whom  such  information 
should  be  given ; for  nothing  surely  can 
be  conceived  more  perfectly  ridiculous  than 
the  embarrassment  of  a person  on  account 
of  the  too  great  heat  of  his  room,  when  it 
is  in  his  power  to  diminish  at  pleasure  the 


72 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Empire. 


COUNT  RUMFO  R/D 


78 


fire  by  which  it  is  warmed ; and  yet,  strange 
as  it  may  appear,  this  has  sometimes  hap- 
pened ! 

Before  I proceed  to  give  directions  for 
the  construction  of  Fire-places,  it  will  be 
proper  to  examine  more  carefully  the  Fire- 
places now  in  common  use; — to  point  out 
their  faults ; — and  to  establish  the  principles 
upon  which  Fire-places  ought  to  be  con- 
structed. 

The  great  fault  of  all  the  open  Fire- 
places, or  Chimnies,  for  burning  wood  or 
coals  in  an  open  fire,  now  in  common  use, 
is,  that  they  are  much  too  large ; or  rather 
it  is  the  throat  of  the  Chimney,  or  the  lower 
part  of  its  open  canal,  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  mantle,  and  immediately  over  the 
fire,  which  is  too  large.  This  opening  has 
hitherto  been  left  larger  than  it  otherwise 
probably  would  have  been  made,  in  order 
to  give  a passage  to  the  Chimney-sweeper ; 
but  I shall  show  hereafter  how  a passage 
for  the  Chimney-sweeper  may  be  contrived 
without  leaving  the  throat  of  the  Chimney 
of  such  enormous  dimensions  as  to  swallow 
up  and  devour  all  the  warm  air  of  the  room, 
instead  of  merely  giving  a passage  to  the 
smoke  and  heated  vapour  which  rise  from 


74 


THE  FIREPLACE 


A Cosy  Corner. 


COUNT  RUM  FORD  75 

the  fire,  for  which  last  purpose  alone  it 
ought  to  be  destined. 

Were  it  my  intention  to  treat  my  subject 
in  a formal  scientific  manner,  it  would 
doubtless  be  proper,  and  even  necessary, 
to  begin  by  explaining  in  the  fullest  man- 
ner, and  upon  the  principles  founded  on 
the  laws  of  nature,  relative  to  the  motions 
of  elastic  fluids,  as  far  as  they  have  been 
discovered  and  demonstrated,  the  causes 
of  the  ascent  of  smoke ; and  also  to  explain 
and  illustrate  upon  the  same  principles,  and 
even  to  measure,  or  estimate  by  calculations, 
the  precise  effects  of  all  those  mechanical 
aids  which  may  be  proposed  for  assisting 
it  in  its  ascent,  or  rather  for  removing  those 
obstacles  which  hinder  its  motion  up- 
wards ; — but  as  it  is  my  wish  rather  to  write 
an  useful  practical  treatise,  than  a learned 
dissertation,  being  more  desirous  to  con- 
tribute in  diffusing  useful  knowledge,  by 
which  the  comforts  and  enjoyments  of  man- 
kind may  be  increased,  than  to  acquire  the 
reputation  of  a philosopher  among  learned 
men,  I shall  endeavor  to  write  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  be  easily  understood  by  those 
who  are  most  likely  to  profit  by  the  infor- 
mation I have  to  communicate,  and  con- 


70 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Eastern  Fireplace. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


77 


sequently  most  likely  to  assist  in  bringing 
into  general  use  the  improvements  I 
recommend.  This  being  premised,  I shall 
proceed,  without  any  further  preface  or 
introduction  to  the  investigation  of  the  sub- 
ject I have  undertaken  to  treat. 

As  the  immoderate  size  of  the  throats  of 
Chimnies  is  the  great  fault  of  their  con- 
struction, it  is  this  fault  which  ought  al- 
ways to  be  attended  to  first  in  every  at- 
tempt which  is  made  to  improve  them;  for 
however  perfect  the  construction  of  a Fire- 
place may  be  in  other  respects,  if  the  open- 
ing left  for  the  passage  of  the  smoke  is 
larger  than  is  necessary  for  that  purpose, 
nothing  can  prevent  the  warm  air  of  the 
room  from  escaping  through  it;  and  when- 
ever this  happens,  there  is  not  only  an  un- 
necessary loss  of  heat,  but  the  warm  air 
which  leaves  the  room  to  go  up  the  Chimney 
being  replaced  by  cold  air  from  without, 
the  draughts  of  cold  air,  so  often  men- 
tioned, cannot  fail  to  be  produced  in  the 
room,  to  the  great  annoyance  of  those  who 
inhabit  it.  But  although  both  these  evils 
may  be  effectually  remedied  by  reducing 
the  throat  of  the  Chimney  to  a proper  size, 
yet  in  doing  this,  several  precautions  will 


78 


THE  FIREPLACE 


A Cabinet  Design. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


79 


be  necessary.  And  first  of  all,  the  throat 
of  the  Chimney  should  be  in  its  proper 
place;  that  is  to  say,  in  that  place  in  which 
it  ought  to  be,  in  order  that  the  ascent  of  the 
smoke  may  be  most  facilitated ; for  every 
means  which  can  be  employed  for  facili- 
tating the  ascent  of  the  smoke  in  the  Chim- 
ney must  naturally  tend  to  prevent  the 
Chimney  from  smoking;  now  as  the  smoke 
and  hot  vapor  which  rise  from  a fire  nat- 
urally tend  upwards,  the  proper  place  for 
the  throat  of  the  Chimney  is  evidently  per- 
pendicularly over  the  fire. 

But  there  is  another  circumstance  to  be 
attended  to  in  determining  the  proper 
place  for  the  throat  of  a Chimney,  and  that 
is,  to  ascertain  its  distance  from  the  fire, 
or  how  far  above  the  burning  fuel  it  ought 
to  be  placed.  In  determining  this  point, 
there  are  many  things  to  be  considered,  and 
several  advantages  and  disadvantages  to  be 
weighed  and  balanced. 

As  the  smoke  and  vapor  which  ascend 
from  burning  fuel  rise  in  consequence  of 
their  being  rarefied  by  heat,  and  made 
lighter  than  the  air  of  the  surrounding 
atmosphere ; and  as  the  degree  of  their 
rarefaction,  and  consequently  their  tend- 


80 


THE  FIREPLACE 


ency  to  rise,  is  in  proportion  to  the  inten- 
sity of  their  heat;  and  further,  as  they  are 
hotter  near  the  fire  than  at  a greater  dis- 
tance from  it,  it  is  clear  that  the  nearer  the 
throat  of  the  Chimney  is  to  the  fire,  the 
stronger  will  be,  what  is  commonly  called, 
its  draught,  and  the  less  danger  there  will 
be  of  its  smoking.  But  on  the  other  hand, 
when  the  draught  of  a Chimney  is  very 
strong,  and  particularly  when  this  strong 
draught  is  occasioned  by  the  throat  of  the 
chimney  being  verv  near  the  fire,  it  may 
so  happen  that  the  draught  of  air  into  the 
fire  may  become  so  strong  as  to  cause  the 
fuel  to  be  consumed  too  rapidly.  There  are 
likewise  several  other  inconveniences 
which  would  attend  the  placing  of  the 
throat  of  a Chimney  very  near  the  burning 
fuel. 

In  introducing  the  improvements  pro- 
posed, in  Chimnies  already  built,  there  can 
be  no  question  in  regard  to  the  height  of 
the  throat  of  the  Chimney,  for  its  place  will 
be  determined  by  the  height  of  the  mantel. 
It  can  hardly  be  made  lower  than  the  man- 
tel ; and  it  ought  always  to  be  brought 
down  as  nearly  upon  the  level  with  the  bot- 
tom of  it  as  possible.  If  the  Chimney  is 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


81 


apt  to  smoke,  it  will  sometimes  be  neces- 
sary to  lower  the  mantel  or  to  diminish  the 
height  of  the  opening  of  the  Fire-place,  by 
throwing  over  a flat  arch,  or  putting  in  a 
straight  piece  of  stone  from  one  side  of  it 
to  the  other,  or,  which  will  be  ,still  more 
simple  and  easy  in  practice,  building  a wall 
of  bricks  supported  by  a flat  bar  of  iron, 
immediately  under  the  mantel. 

Nothing  is  so  effectual  to  prevent  chim- 
nies  from  smoking  as  diminishing  the 
opening  of  the  Fire-place  in  the  manner 
here  described,  and  lowering  and  diminish- 
ing the  throat  of  the  Chimney ; and  I have 
always  found,  except  in  the  single  instance 
already  mentioned,  that  a perfect  cure  may 
be  effected  by  these  means  alone,  even  in 
the  most  desperate  cases.  It  is  true,  that 
when  the  construction  of  the  Chimney  is 
very  bad  indeed,  or  its  situation  very  un- 
favorable to  the  ascent  of  the  smoke,  and 
especially  when  both  these  disadvantages 
exist  at  the  same  time, 
it  may  sometimes  be 
necessary  to  diminish 
the  opening  of  the 
Fire-place,  and  partic- 
ularly to  lower  it,  and 


82 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Late  Sixteenth  Century. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


83 


also  to  lower  the  throat  of  the  Chimney, 
more  than  might  be  wished : but  still  I 
think  this  can  produce  no  inconveniences 
to  be  compared  with  that  greatest  of  all 
plagues,  a smoking  Chimney. 

The  position  of  the  throat  of  a Chimney 
being  determined,  the  next  points  to  be 
ascertained  are  its  size  and  form,  and  the 
manner  in  which  it  ought  to  be  connected 
with  the  Fire-place  below,  and  with  the 
open  canal  of  the  Chimney  above. 

But  as  these  investigations  are  inti- 
mately connected  with  those  which  relate 
to  the  form  proper  to  be  given  to  the  Fire- 
place itself,  we  must  consider  them  alto- 
gether. 

That  these  inquiries  may  be  pursued 
with  due  method,  and  that  the  conclusions 
drawn  from  them  may  be  clear  and  satis- 
factory, it  will  be  necessary  to  consider, 
first,  what  the  objects  are  which  ought 
principally  to  be  had  in  view  in  the  con- 
struction of  a Fire-place ; and  secondly,  to 
see  how  these  objects  can  be  best  attained. 

Now  the  design  of  a Chimney  Fire  being 
simply  to  warm  a room,  it  is  necessary,  first 
of  all,  to  contrive  matters  so  that  the  room 
shall  be  actually  warmed ; secondly,  that 


it  be  warmed  with  the  smallest  expense  of 
fuel  possible ; and  thirdly,  that  in  warming 
it,  the  air  of  the  room  be  preserved  per- 
fectly pure,  and  fit  for  respiration,  and  free 
from  smoke  and  all  disagreeable  smells. 

In  order  to  take  measures  with  certainty 
for  warming  a room  by  means  of  an  open 
Chimney  Fire,  it  will  be  necessary  to  con- 
sider how,  or  in  what  manner,  such  a fire 
communicates  heat  to  a room.  This  ques- 
tion may  perhaps,  at  the  first  view  of  it, 
appear  to  be  superfluous  and  tri- 
fling, but  a more  careful  examina- 
tion of  the  matter  will  show  it  to 
be  highly  deserving  of  the  most  at- 
tentive investigation. 

To  determine  in  what  manner  a 
room  is  heated  by  an  open  Chimney 
Fire,  it  will  be  necessary  first  of  all 
to  find  out,  under  what  form  the 
heat  generated  in  the  combustion- 
of  the  fuel  exists,  and  then  to  see- 
how  it  is  communicated  to  those 
bodies  which  are  heated  by  it. 

In  regard  to  the  first  of  these 
subjects  of  inquiry,  it  is  quite  cer- 
tain that  the  heat  which  is  gener- 
ated in  the  combustion  of  the  fuel 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


85 


exists  under  two  perfectly  distinct  and 
different  forms.  One  part  of  it  is  com- 
bined with  the  smoke,  vapor,  and  heated  air 
which  rise  from  the  burning  fuel,  and  goes 
off  with  them  into  the  upper  regions  of 
the  atmosphere ; while  the  other  part,  which 
appears  to  be  uncombined,  or,  as  some  in- 
genious philosophers  have  supposed,  com- 
bined only  with  light,  is  sent  off  from  the 
fire  in  rays  in  all  possible  directions. 

With  respect  to  the  second  subject  of  in- 
quiry ; namely,  how  this  heat,  existing 
under  these  two  different  forms,  is  com- 
municated to  other  bodies  ; it  is  highly  prob- 
able that  the  combined  heat  can  only  be  com- 
municated to  other  bodies  by  actual  contact 
with  the  body  with  which  it  is  combined ; 
and  in  regard  to  the  rays  which  are  sent 
off  by  burning  fuel,  it  is  certain  that  they 
communicate  or  generate  heat  only  when 
and  where  they  are  stopped  or 
absorbed.  In  passing  through 


the  air,  which  is  transparent, 
they  certainly  do  not  communi- 
cate any  heat  to  it ; and  it  seems 
highly  probable  that  they  do  not 
communicate  heat  to  solid  bod- 
ies by  which  they  are  reflected. 


86 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Library  Fireplace,  Residence  of  C.  W.  Wisner,  Esq. 
"Warwick,  N.  Y.  E.  G.  W.  Dietrich,  Architect. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


87 


In  these  respects  they  seem  to  bear  a 
great  resemblance  to  the  solar  rays.  But 
in  order  not  to  distract  the  attention  of  my 
reader,  or  carry  him  too  far  away  from  the 
subject  more  immediately  under  considera- 
tion, I must  not  enter  too  deeply  into  these 
inquiries  respecting  the  nature  and  prop- 
erties of  what  has  been  called  radiant  heat. 
It  is  certainly  a most  curious  subject  of 
philosophical  investigation,  but  more  time 
would  be  required  to  do  it  justice  than  we 
now  have  to  spare.  We  must  therefore  con- 
tent ourselves  with  such  a partial  examina- 
tion of  it,  as  will  be  sufficient  for  our  pres- 
ent purpose. 

A question  which  naturally  presents 
itself  here  is,  What  proportion  does  the 
radiant  heat  bear  to  the  combined  heat? 
Though  that  point  has  not  yet  been  deter- 
mined with  any  considerable  degree  of 
precision,  it  is,  however,  quite  certain,  that 
the  quantity  of  heat  which  goes  off  com- 
bined with  the  smoke,  vapor  and  heated 
air,  is  much  more  considerable,  perhaps 
three  or  four  times  greater  at  least,  than 
that  which  is  sent  off  from  the  fire  in  rays 
— And  yet,  small  as  the  quantity  is  of  this 
radiant  heat,  it  is  the  only  part  of  the  heat 


88 


THE  FIREPLACE 


generated  in  the  combustion  of  fuel  burnt 
in  an  open  Fire-place  which  can  ever  be 
employed,  in  heating  a room. 

The  whole  of  the  combined  heat  escapes 
by  the  Chimney,  and  is  totally  lost;  and, 
indeed,  no  part  of  it  could  ever  be  brought 
into  a room  from  an  open  Fire-place,  with- 
out bringing  along  with  it  the  smoke  with 
which  it  is  combined ; which,  of  course, 
would  render  it  impossible  for  the  room  to 
be  inhabited.  There  is,  however,  one 
method  by  which  combined  heat,  and  even 
that  which  arises  from  open  Fire-places, 
may  be  made  to  assist  in  warming  a room; 
and  that  is  by  making  it  pass  through  some- 
thing analogous  to  a German  stove,  placed 
in  the  Chimney  above  the  fire.  But  of  this 
contrivance  I shall  take  occasion  to  treat 
more  fully  hereafter ; In  the  meantime  I 
shall  continue  to  investigate  the  properties 
of  open  Chimney  Fire-places,  constructed 
on  the  most  simple  principles,  such  as  are 
now  in  common  use ; and  shall 
endeavor  to  point  out  and  explain 
all  those  improvements  of  which 
they  appear  to  me  to  be 
capable.  When  fuel  is 
burnt  in  Fire-places 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


89 


upon  this  simple  construction,  where  the 
smoke  escapes  immediately  by  the  open 
canal  of  the  Chimney,  it  is  quite  evident 
that  all  the  combined  heat  must  of  neces- 
sity be  lost;  and  as  it  is  the  radiant  heat 
alone  which  can  be  employed  in  heating  a 
room,  it  becomes  an  object  of  much  im- 
portance to  determine  how  the  greatest 
quantity  of  it  may  be  generated  in  the 
combustion  of  the  fuel,  and  how  the  great- 
est proportion  possible  of  that  generated 
may  be  brought  into  the  room. 

Now  the  quantity  of  radiant  heat  gener- 
ated in  the  combustion  of  a given  quantity 
of  any  kind  of  fuel  depends  very 
much  upon  the  manner  in  which 
the  fuel  is  consumed.  When  the 
fire  burns  bright,  much  radiant 
heat  will  be  sent  off  from  it ; but 
when  it  is  smothered  up,  very  little 
will  be  generated ; and  indeed  very 
little  combined  heat;  that  can  be 
employed  to  any  useful  purpose ; 
most  of  the  heat  produced  will  be 
immediately  expended  in  giving 
elasticity  to  a thick  dense  vapor  or 
smoke  which  will  be  seen  rising 
from  the  fire -and  the  com- 


90 


the  fireplace 


Living  Room  Fireplace—  Tedesco  Country  Club. 
Swampscott,  Mass.  Bowditch  & Stratton,  Architects. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


91 


bustion  being  very  incomplete,  a great  part 
of  the  inflammable  matter  of  the  fuel  be- 
ing merely  rarefied  and  driven  up  the 
Chimney  without  being  inflamed,  the  fuel 
will  be  wasted  to  little  purpose.  And  hence 
it  appears  of  how  much  importance  it  is, 
whether  it  be  considered  with  a view  to 
economy  or  to  cleanliness,  comfort,  and 
elegance,  to  pay  due  attention  to  the  man- 
agement of  a Chimney  Fire. 

Nothing  can  be  more  prefectly  void  of 
common  sense,  and  wasteful  and  slovenly 
at  the  same  time,  than  the  manner  in  which 
Chimney  Fires,  and  particularly  where 
coals  are  burned,  are  commonly  managed 
by  servants.  They  throw  on  a load  of  coals 
at  once,  through  which  the  flame  is  hours 
in  making  its  way ; and  frequently  it  is 
not  without  much  trouble  that  the  fire  is 
prevented  from  going  quite  out.  During 
this  time  no  heat  is  communicated  to  the 
room ; and  what  is  still  worse,  the  throat 
of  the  Chimney  being  occupied  merely  by 
a heavy  dense  vapor,  not  possessed  of  any 
considerable  degree  of  heat  and  conse- 
quently not  having  much  elasticity,  the 
warm  air  of  the  room  finds  less  difficulty 
in  forcing  its  way  up  the  Chimney  and  es- 
caping, than  when  the  fire  burns  bright; — 


92 


THE  FIREPLACE 


and  it  happens  not  unfrequently,  especially 
in  Chimneys  and  Fire-places  ill-con- 
structed, that  this  current  of  warm  air 
from  the  room  which  presses  into  the 
Chimney,  crossing  upon  the  current  of 
heavy  smoke  which  rises  slowly  from  the 
fire,  obstructs  it  in  its  ascent,  and  beats  it 
back  into  the  room ; hence  it  is  that  Chim- 
neys so  often  smoke  when  too  large  a 
quantity  of  fresh  coals  is  put  upon  the  fire. 
So  many  coals  should  never  be  put  upon 
the  fire  at  once  as  to  prevent  the  free  pas- 
sage of  the  flame  between.  In  short,  a fire 
should  never  be  smothered ; and  when 
proper  attention  is  paid  to  the  quantity  of 
coals  put  on,  there  will  be  very  little  use  for 
the  poker;  and  this  circumstance  will  con- 
tribute very  much  to  cleanliness,  and  to  the 
preservation  of  furniture. 

Those  who  have  feeling  enough  to  be 
made  miserable  by  anything  careless,  slov- 
enly, and  wasteful  which  happens  under 
their  eyes — who  know  what  com- 
fort is,  and  consequently  are  worthy 
of  the  enjoyments  of  a clean  hearth 
and  cheerful  fire,  should  really 
either  take  the  trouble  themselves  to 
manage  their  fires  (which,  indeed, 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


93 


would  rather  be  an  amusement  to  them 
than  a trouble)  or  they  should  instruct 
their  servants  to  manage  them  better. 

But  to  return  to  the  subject  more  imme- 
diately under  consideration.  As  we  have 
seen  what  is  necessary  to  the  production 
or  generation  of  radiant  heat,  it  remains 
to  determine  how  the  greatest  proportion 
of  that  generated  and  sent  off  from  the  fire 
in  all  directions  may  be  made  to  enter  the 
room,  and  assist  in  warming  it.  Now  as 
the  rays  which  are  thrown  off  from  the 
burning  fuel  have  this  property  in  common 
with  light,  that  they  generate  heat  only 
when  and  where  they  are  stopped  or  ab- 
sorbed, and  also  in  being  capable  of  being 
reflected  without  generating  heat  at  the 
surfaces  of  various  bodies,  the  knowledge 
of  these  properties  will  enable  us  to  take 
measures,  with  the  utmost  certainty,  for 
producing  the  effect  required, — that  is  to 
say,  for  bringing  as  much  radiant  heat  as 
possible  into  the  room. 

This  must  be  done,  first,  by  causing  as 
many  as  possible  of  the  rays,  as  they  are 
sent  off  from  the  fire  in  straight  lines,  to 
come  directly  into  the  room ; which  can 
only  be  effected  by  bringing  the  fire  as  far 


94 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Fig.  1. 

The  plan  of  a fireplace  on  the 
common  construction. 

A B,  the  opening  of  the  fireplace 
in  front. 

U D,  the  back  of  the  fireplace. 

A C and  B D,  the  covings. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


95 


forward  as  possible,  and  leaving  the  open- 
ing of  the  Fire-place  as  wide  and  as  high 
.as  can  be  done  without  inconvenience ; and 
secondly,  by  making  the  sides  and  back  of 
the  Fire-place  of  such  form,  and  construct- 
ing them  of  such  materials,  as  to  cause  the 
direct  rays  from  the  fire,  which  strike 
against  them,  to  be  sent  into  the  room  by 
reflection  in  the  greatest  abundance. 

Now  it  will  be  found,  upon  examination, 
that  the  best  form  for  the  vertical  sides  of 
a Fire-place,  or  the  covings  (as  they  are 
called)  is  that  of  an  upright  plane,  making 
an  angle  with  the  plane  of  the  back  of  the 
Fire-place,  of  about  135  degrees. — Accord- 
ing to  the  present  construction  of  Chim- 
neys, this  angle  is  90  degrees,  or  forms  a 
right  angle;  but  as  in  this  case  the  two 
sides  or  covings  of  the  Fire-place  (AC, 
BD,  Fig.  1)  are  parallel  to  each  other,  it 
is  evident  that  they  are  very  ill  contrived 
for  throwing  into  the  room  by  reflection 
the  rays  from  the  fire  which  fall  on  them. 

To  have  a clear  and  perfect  idea  of  the 
alterations  I propose  in  the  forms  of  Fire- 
places, the  reader  need  only  observe,  that, 
whereas  the  backs  of  Fire-places,  as  they 
.are  now  commonly  constructed,  are  as 


96 


THE  FIREPLACE 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


97 


wide  as  the  opening  of  the  Fire-place  in 
front,  and  the  sides  of  it  are  of  course  per- 
pendicular to  it,  and  parallel  to  each  other, 
— in  the  Fire-places  I recommend,  the 
back  i k,  Fig.  3)  is  only  about  one-third 
of  the  width  of  the  opening  of  the  Fire- 
place in  front  (a  b),  and  consequently  that 
the  two  sides  or  covings  of  the  Fire-place 
(a  i and  b k),  instead  of  being  perpen- 
dicular to  the  back,  are  inclined  to  it  at  an 
angle  of  about  135  degrees;  and  in  con- 
sequence of  this  position,  instead  of  being 
parallel  to  each  other,  each  of  them  pre- 
sents an  oblique  front  towards  the  opening 
of  the  Chimney,  by  means  of  which  the 
rays  which  they  reflect  are  thrown  into  the 
room.  A bare  inspection  of  the  annexed 
drawings  (Fig.  1 and  Fig.  3)  will  render 
this  matter  perfectly  clear  and  intelligible. 

In  regard  to  the  materials  which  it  will 
be  most  advantageous  to  employ  in  the 
construction  of  Fire-places,  so  much  light 
has,  I flatter  myself,  already  been  thrown 
on  the  subject  we  are  investigating,  and 
the  principles  adopted  have  been  established 
on  such  clear  and  obvious  facts,  that  no 
great  difficulty  will  attend  the  determina- 
tion of  that  point. — As  the  object  in  view 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Fig.  3 shows  how  the  fireplace 
represented  by  Fig.  1 is  to  be 
altered  in  order  to  its  being  im- 
proved. 

A B is  the  opening  in  front,  C D 
the  back,  and  A C and  B D the 
covings  of  the  fireplace  in  its  orig- 
inal state. 

a b,  its  opening  in  front, — i k its 
back, — and  a i and  b k its  covings 
after  it  has  been  altered;  e is  a 
point  upon  the  hearth  upon  which 
a plumb  suspended  from  the  mid- 
dle of  the  upper  part  of  the  breast 
of  the  chimney  falls.  The  situa- 
tion for  the  new  back  is  ascer- 
tained by  taking  the  line  e f equal 
to  four  inches.  The  new  back  and 
covings  are  represented  as  being 
built  of  bricks;  and  the  space  be- 
tween these  and  the  old  back  and 
covings  as  being  filled  up  with 
rubbish. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


99 


Fig-.  3. 

Saa£tif[tuJuim  — 3.  jj  al  °j  "Feet. 


100 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Fig.  4 represents  the  eleva- 
tion or  front  view  of  the  fireplace, 
Fig.  3,  after  it  has  been  altered. 
The  lower  part  of  the  doorway  left 
for  the  chimney-sweeper  is  shown 
in  this  figure  by  white  dotted  lines. 


COUNT  RUMPORD 


101 


is  to  bring  radiant  heat  into  the  room,  it 
is  clear  that  that  material  is  best  for  the 
construction  of  a Fire-place  which  reflects 
the  most,  or  which  absorbs  the  least  of  it ; 
for  that  heat  which  is  absorbed  cannot  be 
reflected.— Now  as  bodies  which  absorb 
radiant  heat  are  necessarily  heated  in  con- 
sequence of  that  absorption,  to  discover 
which  of  the  various  materials  that  can  be 
employed  for  constructing  Fire-places  are 
best  adapted  for  that  purpose,  we  have  only 
to  find  out  by  an  experiment,  very  easy  to 
be  made,  what  bodies  acquire  least  heat 
when  exposed  to  the  direct  rays  of  a clear 
fire ; — for  those  which  are  least  heated, 
evidently  absorb  the  least,  and  consequently 
reflect  the  most  radiant  heat..  And  hence 
it  appears  that  iron,  and,  in  general,  metals 
of  all  kinds,  which  are  well  known  to  grow 
very  hot  when  exposed  to  the  rays  pro- 
jected by  burning  fuel,  are  to  be  reckoned 
among  the  very  worst  materials  that  it  is 
possible  to  employ  in  the  construction  of 
Fire-places. 

The  best  materials  I have  hitherto  been 
able  to  discover  are  fire-stone,  and  com- 
mon bricks  and  mortar.  Both  these  ma- 
terials are,  fortunately,  very  cheap ; and  as 


102 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Fig.  5 shows  the  section  of  the 
chimney  fireplace  and  of  a part 
of  the  canal  of  the  chimney  on  the 
common  construction. 

a b is  the  opening  in  front;  b c 
the  depth  of  the  fireplace  at  the 
hearth;  d,  the  breast  of  the  chim- 
ney. 

d e,  the  «throat  of  the  chimney, 
and  d f,  g e,  a part  of  the  open 
canal  of  the  chimney. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


103 


to  their  comparative  merits,  I hardly  know 
to  which  of  them  the  preference  ought  to 
be  given. 

When  bricks  are  used,  they  should  be 
covered  with  a thin  coating  of  plaster, 
which,  when  it  has  become  perfectly  dry, 
should  be  whitewashed.  The  fire-stone 
should  likewise  be  whitewashed,  when  that 
is  used ; and  every  part  of  the  Fire-place, 
which  is  not  exposed  to  being  soiled  and 
made  black  by  the  smoke,  should  be  kept 
as  white  and  clean  as  possible.  As  white 
reflects  more  heat,  as  well  as  more  light 
than  any  other  color,  it  ought  always  be 
preferred  for  the  inside  of  a Chimney  Fire- 
place, and  black,  which  reflects  neither  light 
nor  heat,  should  be  most  avoided. 

I am  well  aware  how  much  the  opinion 
I have  here  ventured  to  give,  respecting  the 
unfitness  of  iron  and  other  metals  to  be 
employed  in  the  construction  of  open  Fire- 
places, differs  from  the  opinion  generally 
received  upon  that  subject; — and  I even 
know  that  the  very  reason  which,  accord- 
ing to  my  ideas  of  the  matter,  renders  them 
totally  unfit  for  the  purpose  is  commonly 
assigned  for  making  use  of  them,  namely, 
that  they  soon  grow  very  hot.  But  I would 


O 

i' 


104 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Fig.  6 shows  a section  of  the 
same  chimney  after  it  has  been 
altered. 

k 1 is  the  new  back  of  the  fire- 
place; 1 i,  the  tile  or  stone  which 
closes  the  doorway  for  the  chim- 
ney-sweeper; d i,  the  throat  of  the 
chimney,  narrowed  to  four  inches; 
a,  the  mantel,  and  h,  the  new  wall 
made  under  the  mantel  to  diminish 
the  height  of  the  opening  of  the 
fireplace  in  front. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


105 


beg  leave  to  ask  what  advantage  is  derived 
from  heating  them? 

I have  shown  the  disadvantage  of  it, 
namely,  that  the  quantity  of  radiant  heat 
thrown  into  the  room  is  diminished ; — and 
it  is  easy  to  show  that  almost  the  whole  of 
that  absorbed  by  the  metal  is  ultimately 
carried  up  the  Chimney  by  the  air,  which, 
coming  into  contact  with  this  hot  metal,  is 
heated  and  rarefied  by  it,  and  forcing  its 
way  upwards,  goes  off  with  the  smoke ; 
and  as  no  current  of  air  ever  sets  from 
any  part  of  the  opening  of  a Fire-place  into 
the  room,  it  is  impossible  to  conceive  how 
the  heat  existing  in  the  metal  composing 
any  part  of  the  apparatus  of  the  Fire-place, 
and  situated  within  its  cavity,  can  come, 
or  be  brought  into  the  room. 

This  difficulty  may  be  in  part  removed, 
by  supposing,  what  indeed  seems  to  be  true 
in  a certain  degree,  that  the  heated  metal 
sends  off  in  rays  the  heat  it  acquires  from 
the  fire,  even  when  it  is  not  heated  red  hot; 
but,  still,  as  it  never  can  be  admitted  that 
the  heat  absorbed  by  the  metal  and  after- 
wards thrown  off  by  it  in  rays,  is  increased 
by  this  operation,  nothing  can  be  gained  by 
it ; and  as  much  must  necessarily  be  lost 


106 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Ornate  Fireplace,  Chateau  Blois. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


107 


in  consequence  of  the  great  quantity  of 
heat  communicated  by  the  hot  metal  to  the 
air  in  contact  with  it,  which,  as  has  already 
been  shown,  always  makes  its  way  up  the 
Chimney,  and  flies  off  into  the  atmosphere, 
the  loss  of  heat  attending  the  use  of  it  is 
too  evident  to  require  being  farther  in- 
sisted on. 

There  is,  however,  in  Chimney  Fire- 
places destined  for  burning  coals,  one  es- 
sential part,  the  grate,  which  cannot  well 
be  made  of  anything  else  but  iron ; but  there 
is  no  necessity  whatever  for  that  immense 
quantity  of  iron  which  surrounds  grates  as 
they  are  now  commonly  constructed  and 
fitted  up,  and  which  not  only  renders  them 
very  expensive,  but  injures  very  essentially 
the  Fire-place.  If  it  should  be  necessary  to 
diminish  the  opening  of  a large  Chimney 
in  order  to  prevent  its  smoking,  it  is  much 
more  simple,  economical,  and  better  in  all 
respects,  to  do  this  with  marble,  fire-stone, 
or  even  with  bricks  or  mortar,  than  to  make 
use  of  iron,  which,  as  has  already  been 
shown,  is  the  very  worst  material  that  can 
possibly  be  employed  for  that  purpose ; and 
as  to  registers,  they  are  not  only  unneces- 
sary, where  the  throat  of  a Chimney  is 


108 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Gothic. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


109 


properly  constructed,  and  of  proper  dimen- 
sions, but  in  that  case  would  do  much  harm. 
If  they  act  at  all,  it  must  be  by  opposing 
their  flat  surfaces  to  the  current  of  rising 
smoke  in  a manner  which  cannot  fail  to 
embarrass  and  impede  its  motion.  But  we 
have  shown  that  the  passage  of  the  smoke 
through  the  throat  of  a Chimney  ought  to 
be  facilitated  as  much  as  possible,  in  order 
that  it  may  pass  by  a small  aperture. 

Register  stoves  have  often  been  found  to 
be  of  use,  because  the  fault  of  all  Fire- 
places constructed  upon  common  principles 
is  the  enormous  dimensions  of  the  throat  of 
the  Chimney.  This  fault  has  been  in  some 
measure  corrected  by  them ; but  I will  ven- 
ture to  affirm,  that 
there  never  was  a 
fire-place  so  cor- 
rected that  would 
not  have  been  im- 
proved, with  less 
expense,  by  the  al- 
terations here  rec- 
ommended, which 
will  be  more  par- 
ticularly explained 
in  the  next  chap- 
ter. 


110 


THE  FIREPLACE 


CHAPTER  II. 


Practical  Directions  designed  for  the  use 
of  Workmen,  showing  how  they  are  to  pro- 
ceed in  making  the  Alterations  necessary 
to  improve  Chimney  Fire-places,  and  ef- 
fectually to  cure  smoking  Chimneys. 

All  Chimney  Fire-places,  without  ex- 
ception, whether  they  are  designed  for 
burning  wood  or  coals,  and  even  those 
which  do  not  smoke,  as  well  as  those  which 
do,  may  be  greatly  improved  by  making  the 
alterations  in  them  here 
recommended ; for  it  is  by 
no  means  merely  to  prevent 
Chimneys  from  smoking 
that  these  im- 
provements are 
recommended,  but 
it  is  also  to  make 
them  better  in  all 
other  respects  as 
Fire-places ; and 
when  the  altera- ; 


112 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Billiard  Room  of  Gedney  Farm— Residence  of  Howard  Willets,  Esq. 

W.  H.  Beers,  Architect. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


113 


tions  proposed  are  properly  executed,  which 
may  very  easily  be  done,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  the  following  plain  and  simple 
directions,  the  Chimneys  will  never  fail 
to  answer,  I will  venture  to  say,  even 
beyond  expectations.  The  room  will  be 
heated  much  more  equally  and  more 
pleasantly  with  less  than  half  the  fuel 
used  before ; the  fire  will  be  more  cheer- 
ful and  more  agreeable ; and  the  gen- 
eral appearance  of  the  Fire-place  more 
neat  and  elegant,  and  the  Chimney  will 
never  smoke. 

The  advantages  which  are  derived  from 
mechanical  inventions  and  contrivances 
are,  I know,  frequently  accompanied  by 
disadvantages  which  it  is  not  always  pos- 
sible to  avoid ; but  in  the  case  in  question, 
I can  say  with  truth,  that  I know  of  no  dis- 
advantage whatever  that  attends  the  Fire- 
places constructed  upon  the  principles  here 
recommended. — But  to  proceed  in  giving 
directions  for  the  construction  of  these 
Fire-places. 

That  what  I have  to  offer  on  this  sub- 
ject may  be  the  more  easily  understood,  it 
will  be  proper  to  begin  by  explaining  the 
precise  meaning  of  all  those  technical 


114 


THE 


FIREPLACE 


Wyatt  & Nolting,  Architects. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


115 


words  and  expressions  which  I may  find  it 
necessary  or  convenient  to  use. 

By  the  throat  of  a Chimney,  I mean  the 
lower  extremity  of  its  canal,  where  it  unites 
with  the  upper  part  of  its  open  Fire-place. 
— This  throat  is  commonly  found  a foot 
above  the  level  of  the  lower  part  of  the 
mantel,  and  it  is  sometimes  contracted  to 
a smaller  size  than  the  rest  of  the  canal  of 
the  Chimney  and  sometimes  not. 

Fig.  5,  shows  the  section  of  a chimney  on 
the  common  construction,  in  which  d e is 
the  throat. 

Fig.  6,  shows  the  section  of  the  same 
chimney  altered  and  improved,  in  which 
d i is  the  reduced  throat. 

The  breast  of  a Chimney  is  that  part  of 
it  which  is  immediately  behind  the  man- 
tel.— It  is  the  wall  which  forms  the  en- 
trance from  below  into  the  throat  of  the 
Chimney  in  front,  or  towards  the  room.- — 
It  is  opposite  to  the  upper  extremity  of  the 
back  of  the  open  Fire-place,  and  parallel 
to  it; — in  short  it  may  be  said  to  be  the 
back  part  of  the  mantel  itself. — In  the  fig- 
ures 5 and  6,  it  is  marked  by  the  letter  d. 
The  width  of  the  throat  of  the  Chimney 
(d  e Fig.  5,  and  d i Fig.  6)  is  taken  from 


See  pages 
102  and  104 


THE  FIREPLACE 


116 


CARVED, 


COUNT  RUMPORD 


] 17 


the  breast  of  the  Chimney  to  the  back,  and 
its  length  is  taken  at  right  angles  to  its 
width,  or  in  a line  parallel  to  the  mantel  (a 
Fig.  5 and  6). 

Before  I proceed  to  give  particular  di- 
rections respecting  the  exact  forms  and 
dimensions  of  the  different  parts  of  a Fire- 
place, it  may  be  useful  to  make  such  gen- 
eral and  practical  observations  upon  the 
subject  as  can  be  clearly  understood  with- 
out the  assistance  of  drawings ; for  the 
more  complete  the  knowledge  of  any  sub- 
ject is  which  can  be  acquired  without  draw- 
ings, the  more  easy  will  it  be  to  understand 
the  drawings  when  it  becomes  necessary  to 
have  recourse  to  them. 

The  bringing  forward  of  the  fire  into  the 
room,  or  rather  bringing  it  nearer  the 
front  of  the  opening  of  the  Fire-place ; — 
and  the  diminishing  of  the  throat  of  the 
Chimney,  being  two  objects  principally 
had  in  view  in  the  alterations  in  Fire-places 
here  recommended,  it  is  evident  that  both 
these  may  be  attained  merely  by  bringing 
forward  the  back  of  the  Chimney. — The 
only  question  therefore  is,  how  far  it  should 
be  brought  forward  ? — The  answer  is 
short,  and  easy  to  be  understood; — bring 


mm 


118 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Ingle  Nook  Fireplaci 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


119 


it  forward  as  far  as  possible,  without  di- 
minishing too  much  the  passage  which  must 
be  left  for  the  smoke.  Now  as  this  pas- 
sage, which,  in  its  narrowest  part,  I have 
called  the  throat  of  the  Chimney,  ought,  for 
reasons  which  are  fully  explained  in  the 
foregoing  Chapter  to  be  immediately,  or 
perpendicularly  over  the  Fire,  it  is  evi- 
dent that  the  back  of  the  Chimney  must 
always  be  built  perfectly  upright. — To  de- 
termine therefore  the  place  for  the  new 
back,  or  how  far  precisely  it  ought  to  be 
brought  forward,  nothing  more  is  neces- 
sary than  to  ascertain  how  wide  the  throat 
of  the  Chimney  ought  to  be  left,  or  what 
space  must  be  left,  between  the  top  of  the 
breast  of  the  Chimney,  where  the  upright 
canal  of  the  Chimney  begins,  and  the  new 
back  of  the  Fire-place  carried  up  perpen- 
dicularly to  that  height. 

In  the  course  of  my  numerous  experi- 
ments upon  Chimneys,  I have  taken  much 
pains  to  determine  the  width  proper  to  be 
given  to  this  passage,  and  I have  found, 
that,  when  the  back  of  the  Fire-place  is  of 
a proper  width,  the  best  width  for  the 


throat  of  a Chimney,  when  the  chimney  and 
the  Fire-place  are  at  the  usual  form  and 


120 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Main  Hall  Fireplace,  “Stoneleigh.  ’ 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


121 


size,  is  four  inches. — Three  inches  might 
sometimes  answer,  especially  where  the 
Fire-place  is  very  small,  and  the  Chimney 
good,  and  well  situated : but  as  it  is  always 
of  much  importance  to  prevent  those  acci- 
dental puffs  of  smoke  which  are  sometimes 
thrown  into  the  room  by  the  carelessness 
of  servants  in  putting  suddenly  too  many 
coals  at  once  upon  the  fire,  and  as  I found 
these  accidents  sometimes  happened  when 
the  throats  of  Chimneys  were  made  very 
narrow,  I found  that,  upon  the  whole,  all 
circumstances  being  considered,  and  ad- 
vantages and  disadvantages  compared  and 
balanced,  four  inches  is  the  best  width  that 
can  be  given  to  the  throat  of  a Chimney ; 
and  this,  whether  the  Fire-place  is  destined 
to  burn  wood,  coals,  turf,  or  any  other  fuel 
commonly  used  for  heating  rooms  by  an 
open  fire. 

In  Fire-places  destined  for  heating  very 
large  halls,  and  where  very  great  fires  are 
kept  up,  the  throat  of  the  Chimney  may,  if 
it  should  be  thought  necessary,  be  made 
four  inches  and  a half,  or  five  inches 
wide ; — but  I have  frequently  made  Fire- 
places for  halls  which  have  answered 
perfectly  well  where  the  throats  of  the 


122 


THE  FIREPLACE 


CARVED. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


123 


Chimneys  have  not  been  wider  than  four 
inches. 

It  may  perhaps  appear  extraordinary, 
upon  the  first  view  of  the  matter,  that 
Fire-places  of  such  different  sizes  should 
all  require  the  throat  of  the  Chimney  to  be 
of  the  same  width  5 but  when  it  is  con- 
sidered that  the  capacity  of  the  throat  of  a 
Chimney  does  not  depend  on  its  width 
alone  but  on  its  width  and  length  taken  to- 
gether ; and  that  in  large  Fire-places,  the 
width  of  the  back,  and  consequently  the 
length  of  the  throat  of  the  Chimney,  is 
greater  than  in  those  which  are  smaller, 
this  difficulty  vanishes. 

And  this  leads  us  to  consider  another 
important  point  respecting  open  Fire- 
places, and  that  is,  the  width  which  it  will, 
in  each  case,  be  proper  to  give  to  the  back. 
In  Fire-places  as  they  are  now  commonly 
constructed,  the  back  is  of  equal  width  with 
the  opening  of  the  Fire-place  in  front — but 
this  construction  is  faulty  on  two  accounts. 
— First,  in  a Fire-place  so  constructed, 
the  sides  of  the  Fire-place,  or  covings,  as 
they  are  called,  are  parallel  to  each  other, 
and  consequently  ill-contrived  to  throw  out 
into  the  room  the  heat  they  receive  from 
the  fire  in  the  form  of  rays ; — and  secondly, 


124 


THE  FIREPLACE 


that  large  open  corners  which  are  formed 
by  making  the  back  as  wide  as  the  open- 
ing of  the  Fire-place  in  front  occasion 
eddies  of  wind,  which  frequently  disturb 
the  fire,  and  embarrass  the  smoke  in  its 
ascent  in  such  a manner  as  often  to  bring 
it  into  the  room. — Both  these  defects  may 
be  entirely  remedied  by  diminishing  the 
width  of  the  back  of  the  Fire-place. — The 
width  which,  in  most  cases,  it  will  be  best 
to  give  it,  is  one-third  of  the  width  of  the 
opening  of  the  Fire-place  in  front. — But 
it  is  not  absolutely  necessary  to  conform 
rigorously  to  this  decision,  nor  will  it  al- 
ways be  possible.  It  will  frequently  hap- 
pen that  the  back  of  a Chimney  must  be 
made  wider  than,  according  to  the  rule  here 
given,  it  ought  to  be. — This  may  be  either 
to  accommodate  the  Fire-place  to  a stove, 
which,  being  already  on  hand,  must,  to 
avoid  the  expense  of  purchasing  a new  one, 
be  employed ; or  for  other  reasons ; and 
any  small  deviation  from  the  general  rule 
will  be  attended  with  no  considerable  in- 
convenience. It  will  always  be  best,  how- 
ever, to  conform  to  it  as  far  as  circum- 
stances will  allow. 

Where  a Chimney  is  designed  for  warm- 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


125 


ing  a room  of  middling  size,  and  where 
the  thickness  of  the  wall  of  the  Chimney 
in  front,  measured  from  the  front  of  the 
mantel  to  the  breast  of  the  Chimney,  is  nine 
inches,  I should  set  off  four  inches  more 
for  the  width  of  the  throat  of  the  Chimney, 
which,  supposing  the  back  of  the  Chimney 
to  be  built  upright,  as  it  always  ought  to 
be,  will  give  thirteen  inches  for  the  depth 
of  the  Fire-place,  measured  upon  the 
hearth,  from  the  opening  of  the  Fire-place 
in  front,  to  the  back.  In  this  case,  thirteen 
inches  would  be  a good  size  for  the  width 
of  the  back,  and  three  times  thirteen  inches, 
or  thirty-nine  inches,  for  the  width  of  the 
opening  of  the  Fire-place  in  front;  and  the 
angle  made  bv  the  back  of  the  Fire-place 
and  the  sides  of  it,  or  covings,  would  be 
just  135  degrees,  which  is  the  best  position 
they  can  have  for  throwing  heat  into  the 
room. 

But  I will  suppose  that  in  altering  such  a 


126 


THE  FTREPLACE 


CARVED. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


127 


accommodate  the  Fire-place  to  a grate  or 
stove  already  on  hand,  to  make  the  Fire- 
place fifteen  inches  wide.  In  that  case,  I 
should  merely  increase  the  width  of  the 
back,  to  the  dimensions  required,  without 
altering  the  depth  of  the  Chimney,  or  in- 
creasing the  width  of  the  opening  of  the 
Chimney  in  front.  The  covings,  it  is  true, 
would  be  somewhat  reduced  in  their  width, 
by  this  alteration,  and  their  position  with 
respect  to  the  plan  of  the  back  of  the  Chim- 
ney would  be  a little  changed ; but  these 
alterations  would  produce  no  bad  effects 
of  any  considerable  consequence,  and  would 
be  much  less  likely  to  injure  the  Fire-place, 
than  an  attempt  to  bring  the  proportions 
of  its  parts  nearer  to  the  standard,  by  in- 
creasing the  depth  of  the  Chimney,  and  the 
width  of  its  opening  in  front ; or  than  an 
attempt  to  preserve  that  particular  obli- 
quity of  the  covings  which  is  recommended 
as  the  best,  (135  degrees)  by  increasing 
the  width  of  the  opening  of  the  Fire-place, 
without  increasing  its  depth. 

In  order  to  illustrate  this  subject  more 
fully,  we  will  suppose  one  case  more.  We 
will  suppose  that  in  the  Chimney  which  is 
to  be  altered,  the  width  of  the  Fire-place 


128 


THE  FIREPLACE 


& 

S V 

Tt 


i 


in  front  is  either  wider  or  narrower  than  it 
ought  to  be,  in  order  that  the  different  parts 
of  the  Fire-place,  after  it  is  altered,  may 
be  of  the  proper  dimensions.  In  this  case, 
L should  determine  the  depth  of  the  Fire- 
place, and  the  width  of  the  back  of  it,  with- 
out any  regard  to  the  width  of  the  opening 
of  the  Fire-place  in  front ; and  when  this 
is  done,  if  the  opening  of  the  Fire-place 
should  be  only  two  or  three  inches  too  wide, 
that  is  to  say,  only  two  or  three  inches 
wider  than  is  necessary  in  order  that  the 
covings  may  be  brought  into  their  proper 
position  with  respect  to  the  back.  I should 
not  alter  the  width  of  this  opening,  but 
should  accommodate  the  covings  by  this 
width,  by  increasing  their  breadth,  and  in- 
creasing the  angle  they  make  with  the  back 
of  the  Fire-place ; — but  if  the  opening  of 
the  Fire-place  should  be  more  than  three 
inches  too  wide ; I should  reduce  it  to  the 
proper  width  by  slips  of  stone,  or  by  bricks 
and  mortar. 

When  the  width  of  the  opening  of  the 
Fire-place,  in  front  is  very  great,  compared 
with  the  depth  of  the  Fire-place,  and  with 
the  width  of  the  back,  the  covings  in  that 
case  being  very  wide,  and  consequently 


& 

S v 

Tt 


1 


COUNT  RUMPORD 


129 


very  oblique,  and  the  Fire-place  very  shal- 
low, any  sudden  motion  of  the  air  in  front 
of  the  Fire-place,  (that  motion,  for  instance, 
which  would  be  occasioned  by  the  clothes 
of  a woman  passing  hastily  before  the  fire, 
and  very  near  it),  would  be  apt  to  cause 
eddies  in  the  air,  within  the  opening  of  the 
Fire-place,  by  which  puffs  of  smoke  might 
easily  be  brought  into  the  room. 

Should  the  opening  of  the  Chimney  be 
too  narrow,  which  however  will  very  sel- 
dom be  found  to  be  the  case,  it  will,  in  gen- 
eral be  advisable  to  let  it  remain  as  it  is, 
and  to  accommodate  the  covings  to  it, 
rather  than  to  attempt  to  increase  its  width, 
which  would  be  attended  with  a good  deal 
of  trouble,  and  probably  a considerable  ex- 
pense. 

From  all  that  has  been  said  it  is  evident, 
that  the  points  of  the  greatest  importance, 
and  which  ought  most  particularly  to  be 
attended  to,  in  altering  Fire-places  upon 
the  principles  here  recommended,  are,  the 
bringing  forward  the  back  to  its  proper 
place,  and  making  it  of  proper  width.  But 
it  is  time  that  I should  mention  another 
matter  upon  which  it  is  probable  that  my 
reader  is  already  impatient  to  receive  in- 


130 


THE  FIREPLACE 


CARVED. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


131 


formation.  Provision  must  be  made  for 
the  passage  of  the  Chimney  sweeper  up  the 
Chimney.  This  may  be  easily  done  in  the 
following  manner:  In  building  up  the  new 
back  of  the  Fire-place ; when  this  wall, 
(which  need  never  be  more  than  the  width 
of  a single  brick  in  thickness)  is  brought 
up  so  high  that  there  remains  no  more  than 
about  ten  or  eleven  inches  between  what  is 
then  the  top  of  it,  and  the  inside  of  the 
mantel,  or  lower  extremity  of  the  breast  of 
the  Chimney,  an  opening,  or  door-way, 
eleven  or  twelve  inches  wide,  must  be  be- 
gun in  the  middle  of  the  back,  and  con- 
tinued quite  to  the  top  of  it,  which,  accord- 
ing to  the  height  to  which  it  will  commonly 
be  necessary  to  carry  up  the  back,  will 
make  the  opening  about  twelve  or  fourteen 
inches  high;  which  will  be  quite  sufficient 
to  allow  a Chimney  sweeper  to  pass.  When 
the  Fire-place  is  finished,  this  doorway  is 
to  be  closed  by  a few  bricks,  by  a tile,  or 
a fit  piece  or  stone,  placed  in  it,  dry,  or 
without  mortar,  and  confined  in  its  place 
by  means  of  a rabbet  made  for  that  pur- 
pose in  the  brick-work.  As  often  as  the 
Chimney  is  swept,  the  Chimney-sweeper 
takes  down  this  temporary  wall,  which  is 


132 


THE  FIREPLACE 


very  easily  done,  and  when  he  has  finished 
his  work,  he  puts  it  again  into  its  place. 
The  annexed  drawing  (No.  6)  will  give  a 
clear  idea  of  this  contrivance;  and  the  ex- 
perience I have  had  of  it  has  proved  that  it 
answers  perfectly  well  the  purpose  for 
which  it  is  designed. 

I observed  above,  that  the  new  back, 
which  it  will  always  be  found  necessary  to 
build  in  order  to  bring  the  fire  sufficiently 
forward,  in  altering  a Chimney  con- 
structed of  the  common  principles,  need 
never  be  thicker  than  the  width  of  a com- 
mon brick.  I may  say  the  same  of  the 
thickness  necessary  to  be  given  to  the  new 
sides,  or  covings,  of  the  Chimney ; or  if 
the  new  back  and  covings  are  constructed 
of  stone,  one  inch  and  three  quarters,  or 
two  inches  in  thickness  will  be  sufficient. 
Care  should  be  taken  in  building  up  these 
new  walls  to  unite  the  back  to  the  covings 
in  a solid  manner. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


133 


Whether  the  new  back  and  covings  are 
constructed  of  stone,  or  built  of  bricks,  the 
space  between  them  and  the  old  back  and 
covings  of  the  Chimney  ought  to  be  filled 
up,  to  give  greater  solidity  to  the  struc- 
ture. This  may  be  done  with  loose  rub- 
bish, or  pieces  of  broken  bricks,  or  stones, 
provided  the  work  be  strengthened  by  a 
few  layers  or  courses  of  bricks  laid  in  mor- 
tar; but  it  will  be  indispensably  necessary 
to  finish  the  work,  where  these  new  walls 
end,  that  is  to  say,  at  the  top  of  the  throat 
of  the  Chimney,  where  it  ends  abruptly  in 
the  open  canal  of  the  Chimney  by  a hori- 
zontal course  of  bricks  well  secured  with 
mortar.  This  course  of  bricks  will  be  upon 
a level  with  the  top  of  the  door-way  left 
for  the  Chimney-sweeper. 

From  these  descriptions  it  is  clear,  that 
where  the  throat  of  the  Chimney  has  an 
end,  that  is  to  say,  where  it  enters  into  the 
lower  part  of  the  open  canal  of  the  Chim- 
ney, there  the  three  walls  which  form  the 
two  covings  and  the  back  of  the  Fire-place 
all  end  abruptly.  It  is  of  much  importance 
that  they  should  end  in  this  manner;  for 
were  they  to  be  sloped  outward  and  raised 
in  such  a manner  as  to  swell  out  the  upper 


134 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Great  Fireplace  of  Caen  Stone  in  Model  Room  of  New 
York  Yacht  Club. 

Warren  and  Wetmore,  Architects. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


135 


extremity  of  the  throat  of  the  Chimney 
in  the  form  of  a trumpet,  and  increase  it 
by  degrees  to  the  size  of  the  canal  of  the 
Chimney,  this  manner  of  uniting  the  lower 
extremity  of  the  canal  of  the  Chimney  with 
the  throat  would  tend  to  assist  the  winds 
which  may  attempt  to  blow  down  the  Chim- 
ney, in  forcing  their  way  through  the 
throat,  and  throwing  the  smoke  backward 
into  the  room;  but  when  the  throat  of  the 
Chimney  ends  abruptly,  and  ends  of  the 
new  walls  form  a flat  horizontal  surface,  it 
will  be  much  more  difficult  for  any  wind 
from  above  to  find  and  force  its  way 
through  the  narrow  passage  of  the  throat 
of  the  Chimney. 

As  the  two  walls  which  form  the  new 
covings  of  the  Chimney  are  not  parallel  to 
each  other ; but  inclined,  presenting  an 
oblique  surface  towards  the  front  of  the 
Chimney,  and  as  they  are  built  perfectly 
upright  and  quite  flat,  from  the  hearth  to 
the  top  of  the  throat,  where  they  end,  it  is 
evident  that  a horizontal  section  of  the 
throat  will  not  be  an  oblong  square;  but 
its  deviation  from  that  form  is  a matter  of 
no  consequence ; and  no  attempts  should 
ever  be  made,  by  twisting  the  covings 


136 


THE  FIREPLACE 


above,  where  they  approach  the  breast  of 
the  Chimney,  to  bring  it  to  that  form.  All 
twists,  bends,  prominences,  excavations, 
and  other  irregularities  of  form,  in  the 
covings  of  a Chimney,  never  fail  to  pro- 
duce eddies  in  the  current  of  the  air  which 
is  continually  passing  into,  and  through  an 
open  Fire-place  in  which  a fire  is  burning; 
and  all  such  eddies  disturb,  either  the  fire, 
or  the  ascending  current  of  smoke,  or  both ; 
and  not  unfrequently  cause  the  smoke  to  be 
thrown  back  into  the  room.  Hence  it  ap- 
pears, that  the  covings  of  Chimnies  should 
never  be  made  circular,  or  in  the  form  of 
any  other  curve ; but  always  quite  fiat. 

For  the  same  reason,  that  is  to  say,  to 
prevent  eddies,  the  breast  of  the  chimney 
which  forms  the  side  of  the  throat  is  in 
front,  or  nearest  to  the  room,  should  be 
neatly  cleaned  off,  and  its  surface  be  made 
quite  regular  and  smooth. 

This  may  easily  be  done  by  covering  ii 
with  a coat  of  plaster,  which  may  be  made 
thicker  or  thinner  in  different  parts  as  may 
be  necessary  in  order  to  bring  the  breast 
of  the  Chimney  to  be  of  the  proper  form. 

With  regard  to  the  form  of  the  breast  of 
a Chimney,  this  is  a matter  of  very  great 


<3 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


137 


importance,  and  which  ought  always  to  be 
particularly  attended  to.  The  worst  form 
it  can  have  is  that  of  a vertical  plane,  or 
upright  flat;  and  next  to  this,  the  worst 
form  is  an  inclined  plane.  Both  these  forms 
cause  the  current  of  warm  air  from  the 
room,  which  will,  in  spite  of  every  pre- 
caution, sometimes  find  its  way  into  the 
Chimney,  to  cross  upon  the  current  of  the 
smoke,  which  rises  from  the  fire,  in  a man- 
ner most  likely  to  embarrass  it  in  its  as- 
cent, and  drive  it  back.  The  inclined  plane 
which  is  formed  by  a flat  register  placed 
in  the  throat  of  the  Chimney  produces  the 
same  effects ; and  this  is  one  reason,  among 
many  others,  which  have  induced  me  to 
disapprove  of  register  stoves. 

The  current  of  air  which,  passing  under 
the  mantel,  gets  into  the  Chimney,  should 
be  made  gradually  to  bend  its  course  up- 
wards, by  which  means  it  will  unite  quietly 
with  the  ascending  current  of  smoke,  and 
will  be  less  likely  to  check  it,  or  force  it 
back  into  the  room.  Now  this  may  be  ef- 
fected with  the  greatest  ease  and  certainty, 
merely  by  rounding  off  the  breast  of  the 
Chimney  or  back  part  of  the  mantel,  in- 
stead of  leaving  it  flat,  or  full  of  holes  and 


138 


THE  FIREPLACE 


MODERN  DESIGN. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


139 


corners;  and  this  of  course  ought  always 
to  be  done. 

I have  hitherto  given  no  precise  direo 
tions  in  regard  to  the  height  to  which  the 


new  back  and  covings  ought  to  be  carried : 
This  will  depend  not  only  on  the  height  of 
the  mantel,  but  also,  and  more  especially, 
on  the  height  of  the  breast  of  the  Chimney, 


140 


THE  FIREPLACE 


or  of  that  part  of  the  Chimney  where  the 
breast  ends  and  the  upright  canal  begins. 
The  back  and  covings  must  raise  a few 
inches,  five  or  six,  for  instance,  higher  than 
this  part,  otherwise  the  throat  of  the  Chim- 
ney will  not  be  properly  formed ; but  I 
know  of  no  advantages  that  would  be 
gained  by  carrying  them  still  higher. 

I mentioned  above,  that  the  space  be- 
tween the  walls  which  form  the  new  back 
and  covings,  and  the  old  back  sides  of  the 
Fire-place,  should  be  filled  up;  but  this 
must  not  be  understood  to  apply  to  the 
space  between  the  wall  of  dry  bricks,  or 
the  tile  which  closes  the  passage  for  the 
Chimney-sweeper,  and  the  old  back  of  the 
Chimney;  for  that  space  must  be  left  void, 
otherwise,  though  this  tile,  (which  at  most 
will  not  be  more  than  two  inches  in  thick- 
ness) were  taken  away,  there  would  not  be 
room  sufficient  for  him  to  pass. 

In  forming  this  door-way,  the  best 
method  of  proceeding  is  to  place  the  tile 
or  flat  piece  of  stone  destined  for  closing  it, 
in  its  proper  place ; and  to  build  round  it, 
or  rather  by  the  sides  of  it;  taking  care 
not  to  bring  any  mortar  near  it,  in  order 
that  it  may  easily  be  removed  when  the 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


141 


door- way  is  finished.  With  regard  to  the 
rabbet  which  should  be  made  in  the  door- 
way to  receive  it  and  fix  it  more  firmly  in 
its  place,  this  may  either  be  formed  at  the 
same  time  when  the  door-way  is  built,  or  it 
may  be  made  after  it  is  finished,  by  attach- 
ing to  its  bottom  and  sides,  with  strong 
mortar,  pieces  of  thin  roof  tiles.  Such  as 
are  about  half  an  inch  in  thickness  will  be 
best  for  this  use;  if  they  are  thicker  they 
will  diminish  too  much  the  opening  of  the 
door-way,  and  will  likewise  be  more  liable 
to  be  torn  away  by  the  Chimney-sweeper 
in  passing  up  and  down  the  Chimney. 

It  will  hardly  be  necessary  for  me  to  add, 
that  the  tile  or  flat  stone,  or  wall  of  dry 
bricks,  which  is  used  for  closing  up  this 
door-way,  must  be  of  sufficient  height  to 
reach  quite  up  to  the  level  with  the  top  of 
the  walls  which  form  the  new  back  and 
covings  of  the  Chimnies. 

I ought,  perhaps,  to  apologize  for  having 
been  so  very  particular  in  these  descrip- 
tions and  explanations,  but  it  must  be  re- 
membered that  this  chapter  is  written  prin- 
cipally for  the  information  of  those  who, 
having  had  few  opportunities  of  employing 
their  attention  in  abstruse  philosophical  re- 


142 


THE  FIREPLACE 


searches,  are  not  sufficiently  practiced  in 
these  intricate  investigations,  to  seize  with 
facility,  new  ideas ; and  consequently,  that 


I have  frequently  been  obliged  to  labor  to 
make  myself  understood. 

I have  only  to  express  my  wishes  that 
my  reader  may  not  be  more  fatigued  with 
this  labor  than  I have  been ; for  we  shall 
then  most  certainly  be  satisfied  with  each 


COUNT  RUMF O R D 


143 


other.  But  to  return  once  more  to  the  charge. 
There  is  one  more  important  circumstance 
respecting  Chimney  Fire-places  destined 
for  burning  coals,  which  still  remains 
to  be  farther  examined;  and  that  is  the 
Grate, 

Although  there  are  few  grates  that  may 
not  be  used  in  Chimnies  constructed  or  al- 
tered upon  the  principles  here  recommend- 
ed, yet  they  are  not,  by  any  means,  all 
equally  well-adapted  for  that  purpose. 
Those  whose  construction  is  the  most  sim- 
ple, and  which  of  course  are  the  cheapest, 
are  beyond  comparison  the  best,  on  all  ac- 
counts. Nothing  being  wanted  in  these 
Chimnies  but  merely  a grate  for  contain- 
ing the  coals,  and  in  which  they  will  burn 
with  a clear  fire ; and  all  additional  appa- 
ratus being,  not  only  useless,  but  very  per- 
nicious, all  complicated  and  expensive 
grates  should  be  laid  aside,  and  such  as 
are  more  simple,  substituted  in  the  room  of 
them.  And  in  the  choice  of  a grate,  as  in 
everything  else,  beauty  and  elegance  may 
easily  be  united  with  the  most  perfect  sim- 
plicity. Indeed  they  are  incompatible  with 
everything  else. 

In  placing  the  grate,  the  thing  principally 


144 


THE  FIREPLACE 


to  be  attended  to  is,  to  make  the  back  of  it 
coincide  with  the  back  of  the  Fire-place; 
but  as  many  of  the  grates  now  in  common 
use  will  be  found  to  be  too  large,  when  the 
Fire-places  are  altered  and  improved,  it 
will  be  necessary  to  diminish  their  capac- 
ities by  filling  them  up  at  the  back  and 
sides  with  pieces  of  fire-stone. 

When  this  is  done,  it  is  the  front  of  the 
flat  piece  of  fire-stone  which  is  made  to 
form  a new  back  to  the  grate,  which  must 
be  made  to  coincide  with,  and  make  part 
of  the  back,  of  the  Fire-place.  But  in  di- 
minishing the  capacities  of  grates  with 
pieces  of  fire-stone,  care  must  be  taken  not 
to  make  them  too  narrow. 

The  proper  width  for  grates  destined  for 
rooms  of  middling  size  will  be  from  six  to 
eight  inches,  and  their  length  may  be  di- 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


145 


minished  more  or  less,  according  as  the 
room  is  heated  with  more  or  less  difficulty, 
or  as  the  weather  is  more  or  less  severe. 
But  where  the  width  of  the  grate  is  not 
more  than  five  inches,  it  will  be  very  diffi- 
cult to  prevent  the  fire  from  going  out. 

It  goes  out  for  the  same  reason  that  a 
live  coal  from  the  grate  that  falls  upon  the 
hearth  soon  ceases  to  be  red  hot ; it  is 
cooled  by  the  surrounding  cold  air  of  the 
atmosphere.  The  knowledge  of  the  cause 
which  produces  this  effect  is  important,  as 
it  indicates  the  means  which  may  be  used 
for  preventing  it.  But  of  this  subject  I 
shall  treat  more  fully  hereafter. 

It  frequently  happens  that  the  iron  backs 
of  grates  are  not  vertical  or  upright,  but 
inclined  backwards.  When  these  grates 
are  so  much  too  wide  as  to  render  it  neces- 
sary to  fill  them  up  behind  with  fire-stone, 
the  inclination  of  the  back  will  be  of  lit- 
tle consequence,  for  by  making  the  piece 
of  stone  with  which  the  width  of  the  grate 
is  to  be  diminished  in  the  form  of  a wedge, 
or  thicker  above  than  below,  the  front  of 
this  stone,  which  in  effect  will  become  the 
back  of  the  grate,  may  be  made  perfectly 
vertical ; and  the  iron  back  of  the  grate  be- 


146 


THE  FIREPLACE 


ELABORATELY  CARVED. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


147 


ing  hid  in  the  solid  work  of  the  back  of  the 
Fire-place,  will  produce  no  effect  what- 
ever ; but  if  the  grate  be  already  so  narrow 
as  not  to  admit  of  any  diminution  of  its 
width,  in  this  case  it  will  be  best  to  take 
away  the  iron  back  of  the  grate  entirely, 
and  fixing  the  grate  firmly  in  the  brick 
work,  cause  the  back  of  the  Fire-place  to 
serve  as  a back  to  the  grate.  This  I have 
very  frequently  done,  and  have  always 
found  it  to  answer  perfectly  well. 

Where  it  is  necessary  that  the  fire  in  the 
grate  should  be  very  small,  it  would  be  best 
in  reducing  the  grate  with  fire-stone,  to 
bring  its  cavity,  destined  for  containing  the 
fuel,  to  the  form  of  one-half  of  a hollow 
hemisphere;  the  two  semicircular  openings 
being  one  above,  to  receive  the  coals,  and 
the  other  in  front,  or  towards  the  bars  of 
the  grate ; for  when  the  coals  are  burnt  in 
such  a confined  space,  and  surrounded  on 
all  sides,  except  in  the  front  and  above,  by 
fire-stone,  (a  substance  peculiarly  well 
adapted  for  confining  heat)  the  heat  of  the 
fire  will  be  concentrated,  and  cold  air  of 
the  atmosphere  being  kept  at  a distance,  a 
much  smaller  quantity  of  coals  will  burn, 
than  could  possibly  be  made  to  burn  in  a 


148 


THE  FIREPLACE 


grate  where  they  would  be  more  exposed, 
to  be  cooled  by  the  surrounding  air,  or  to 
have  their  heat  carried  off  by  being  in  con- 
tact with  iron,  or  with  any  other  substance 
through  which  heat  passes  with  greater 
facility  than  through  fire-stone. 

Being  persuaded  that  if  the  improve- 
ments in  the  Chimney  Fire-places  here 
recommended  should  be  generally  adopted, 
(which  I cannot  help  flattering  myself  will 
be  the  case)  that  it  will  become  necessary 
to  reduce,  very  considerably,  the  sizes  of 
grates,  I was  desirous  of  showing  how  this 
may,  with  the  greatest  safety  and  facility, 
be  done. 

Where  grates,  which  are  designed  for 
room  of  a middling  size,  are  longer  than 
fourteen  or  fifteen  inches,  it  will  always  be 
best,  not  merely  to  diminish  their-  lengths, 
by  filling  them  up  at  their  two  ends  with 
fire-stone,  but,  forming  the  back  of  the 
Chimney  of  a proper  width,  without  pay- 
ing any  attention  to  the  length  of  the  grate, 
to  carry  the  covings  through  the  two  ends 
of  the  grate  in  such  a manner  as  to  con- 
ceal them,  or  at  least  to  conceal  the  back 
corners  of  them  in  the  walls  of  the  covings. 

I cannot  help  flattering  myself  that  the 


COUNT  RUMFQRD 


149 


directions  here  given  in  regard  to  the  al- 
terations which  it  may  be  necessary  to 
make  in  Fire-places,  in  order  to  introduce 
the  improvements  proposed,  will  be  found 
to  be  so  perfectly  plain  and  intelligible 
that  no  one  who  reads  them  will  be 
at  any  loss  respecting  the  manner  in 
which  the  work  is  to  be  performed ; 
but  as  order  and  arrangement  tend 
much  to  facilitate  all  mechanical  oper- 
ations, I shall  here  give  a few  short  direc- 
tions respecting  the  manner  of  laying  out 
the  work,  which  may  be  found  useful,  and 
particularly  to  gentlemen  who  may  un- 
dertake to  be  their  own  architects,  in  order- 
ing and  directing  the  alterations  to  be  made 
for  the  improvement  of  their  Fire-places. 

Directions  for  laying  out  the  work : 

If  there  be  a grate  in  the  Chimney  which 
is  to  be  altered,  it  will  always  be  best  to 
take  it  away,  and  when  this  is  done,  the 
rubbish  must  be  removed,  and  hearth  swept 
perfectly  clean. 

Suppose  the  annexed  figure  No.  i to 
represent  the  ground  plan  of  such  a Fire- 
place ; A B being  the  opening  of  it  in  front, 
A C and  B D the  two  sides  or  covings,  and 
C D the  back. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


151 


Figure  2 shows  the  elevation  of  this 
Fire-place.  First,  draw  a straight  line, 
with  chalk,  or  with  a lead  pencil,  upon  the 
hearth,  from  one  jamb  to  the  other,  even 
with  the  front  of  the  jamb.  The  dotted 
line  A B,  figure  3,  may  represent  this  line. 

From  the  middle  C of  this  line,  (A  B) 
another  line  c d,  is  to  be  drawn  perpen- 
dicular to  it,  across  the  hearth  to  the  mid- 
dle d,  of  the  back  of  the  Chimney. 

A person  must  now  stand  upright  in  the 
Chimney,  with  his  back  to  the  back  of  the 
Chimney,  and  hold  a plumb-line  to  the  mid- 
dle of  the  upper  part  of  the  breast  of  the 
Chimney  (d,  fig.  5)  or  where  the  canal  of 
the  Chimney  begins  to  rise  perpendicu- 
larly;— taking  care  to  place  the  line  above 
in  such  a manner  that  the  plumb  may  fall, 
on  the  line  c d,  drawn  on  the  hearth  from 
the  middle  of  the  opening  of  the  Chimney 
in  front  to  the  middle  of  the  back,  and  an 
assistant  must  mark  the  precise  place  e„ 
on  that  line  where  the  plumb  falls. 

This  being  done,  and  the  person  in  the 
Chimney  having  quitted  his  station,  four 
inches  are  to  be  set  off  on  the  line  c d,  from 
e,  towards  d;  and  the  point  f,  where  these 
four  inches  end,  (which  must  be  marked 


See  page  96. 


See  page  98. 


152 


THE  FIREPLACE 


with  chalk  or  with  a pencil)  will  show  how 
far  the  new  back  is  to  be  brought  forward. 

Through  f,  draw  the  line  g h,  parallel  to 
the  line  A B,  and  this  line  g h will  show 
the  direction  of  the  new  back,  or  the 
ground  line  on  which  it  is  to  be  built. 

The  line  c f will  show  the  depth  of  the 
new  Fire-place ; and  if  it  should  happen 
that  c f is  equal  to  about  one-third  of  the 
line  A B ; and  if  the  grate  can  be  accom- 
modated to  the  Fire-place  instead  of  its 
being  necessary  to  accommodate  the  Fire- 
place to  the  grate,  in  that  case,  half  the 
length  of  the  line  c f,  is  to  be  set  off  from 
f on  the  line  g f h,  on  one  side  to  k,  and  on 
the  other  to  i,  and  the  line  i k will  show  the 
ground  line  of  the  forepart  of  the  back  of 
the  Chimney. 

In  all  cases  where  the  width  of  the  open- 
ing of  the  Fire-place  in  front  (A  B)  hap- 
pens to  be  not  greater,  or  not  more  than 
two  or  three  inches  greater  than  three 
times  the  width  of  the  new  back  of  the 
Chimney  (i  k)  this  opening  may  be  left, 
and  lines  drawn  from  i to  A,  and  from  k 
to  B,  will  show  the  width  and  position  of 
the  front  of  the  new  covings ; but  when  the 
opening  of  the  Fire-place  in  front  is  still 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


153 


wider,  it  must  be  reduced,  which  is  to  be 
done  in  the  following  manner : 

From  c,  the  middle  of  the  line  A B,  c a 
and  c b,  must  be  set  off  equal  to  the  width 
of  the  back  (i  k)  added  to  half  its  width 
(f  i)  and  lines  drawn  from  i to  a and  from 
k to  b,  will  show  the  ground  plan  of  the 
fronts  of  the  new  covings. 

When  this  is  done  nothing  more  will  be 
necessary  than  to  build  up  the  back  and 
covings ; and  if  the  Fire-place  is  designed 
for  burning  coals,  to  fix  the  grate  in  its 
proper  place,  according  to  the  directions 
already  given.  When  the  width  of  the 
Fire-place  is  reduced,  the  edges  of  the  cov- 
ings a A and  b B are  to  make  a finish  with 
the  front  of  the  jambs.  And  in  general  it 
will  be  best,  not  only  for  the  sake  of  the 
* appearance  of  the  Chimney,  but  for  the 
other  reasons  also  to  lower  the  height  of 
the  opening  of  the  Fire-place,  whenever  its 
width  in  front  is  diminished. 

Fig.  4 shows  a front  view  of  the  Chim- 
ney after  it  has  been  altered  according  to 
the  directions  here  given.  By  comparing 
it  with  fig.  2 (which  shows  a front  view 
of  the  same  Chimney  before  it  was  altered) 
the  manner  in  which  the  opening  of  the 


See  page  100. 


154 


THE  FIREPLACE 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


155 


Fire-place  in  front  is  diminished  may  be 
seen.  In  fig.  4 the  under  part  of  the  door- 
way by  which  the  Chimney-sweeper  gets 
up  the  Chimney  is  represented  by  white 
dotted  lines.  The  door-way  is  represented 
closed. 

I shall  finish  this  chapter  with  some  gen- 
eral observations  relative  to  the  subject  un- 
der consideration ; with  directions  how  to 
proceed  where  such  local  circumstances 
exist  as  render  modifications  of  the  general 
plan  indispensably  necessary. 

Whether  a Chimney  be  designed  for 
burning  wood  upon  the  hearth,  or  wood, 
or  coals  in  a grate,  the  form  of  the  Fire- 
place is,  in  my  opinion,  most  perfect  when 
the  width  of  the  back  is  equal  to  the  depth 
of  the  Fire-place,  and  the  opening  of  the 
Fire-place  in  front  equal  to  three  times  the 
width  of  the  back,  or,  which  is  the  same 
thing,  to  three  times  the  depth  of  the  Fire- 
place. 

But  if  the  Chimney  be  designed  for  burn- 
ing wood  upon  the  hearth,  upon  hand  irons, 
or  dogs,  as  they  are  called,  it  will  be  some- 
times necessary  to  accommodate  the  width 
of  the  back  to  the  length  of  the  wood ; and 
when  this  is  the  case,  the  covings  must  be 


156 


THE  FIREPLACE 


accommodated  to  the  width  of  the  back, 
and  the  opening  of  the  Chimney  in  front. 

When  the  wall  of  the  Chimney  in  front, 
measured  from  the  upper  part  of  the  breast 
of  the  Chimney  to  the  front  of  the  mantle, 
is  very  thin,  it  may  happen,  and  especially 
in  Chimnies  designed  for  burning  wood 
upon  the  hearth,  or  upon  dogs,  that  the 
depth  of  the  Chimney,  determining  accord- 
ing to  the  directions  here  given,  may  be  too 
small. 

Thus,  for  example,  supposing  the  wall 
of  the  Chimney  in  front,  from  the  upper 
part  of  the  breast  of  the  Chimney  to  the 
front  of  the  mantel,  to  be  only  four  inches, 
(which  is  sometimes  the  case,  particularly 
in  rooms  situated  near  the  top  of  the  house) 
in  this  case,  if  we  take  four  inches  for 
the  width  of  the  throat,  this  will  give  eight 
inches  only  for  the  depth  of  the  Fire-place, 
which  would  be  too  little,  even  were  coals 
to  be  burnt  instead  of  wood.  In  this  case 
I should  increase  the  depth  of  the  Fire- 
place at  the  hearth  to  12  or  13  inches,  and 
should  build  the  back  perpendicular  to  the 
height  of  the  top  of  the  burning  fuel, 
( whether  it  be  wood  burned  upon  the 
hearth,  or  coals  in  a grate)  and  then,  slop- 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


157 


ing  the  back  by  a gentle  inclination  for- 
ward, bring  it  to  its  proper  place,  that  is  to 
say,  perpendicularly  under  the  back  of  the 
throat  of  the  Chimney.  This  slope,  (which 
will  bring  the  back  forward  four  or  five 
inches,  or  just  as  much  as  the  depth  of  the 
Fire-place  is  increased)  though  it  ought 
not  to  be  too  abrupt,  yet  it  ought  to  be  quite 
finished  at  the  height  of  eight  or  ten 
inches  above  the  fire,  otherwise  it  may  per- 
haps cause  the  Chimney  to  smoke ; but 
when  it  is  very  near  the  fire,  the  heat  of 
the  fire  will  enable  the  current  of  rising 
smoke  to  overcome  the  obstacle  which  this 
slope  will  oppose  to  its  ascent,  which  it 
could  not  do  so  easily  were  the  slope  situ- 
ated at  a greater  distance  from  the  burning 
fuel. 

Flaving  been  obliged  to  carry  backward 
the  Fire-place  in  the  manner  here  described, 
in  order  to  accommodate  it  to  a Chimney 
whose  walls  in  front  were  remarkably  thin, 
I was  surprised  to  find  upon  lighting  the 
fire  that  it  appeared  to  give  out  more  heat 
into  the  room  than  any  Fire-place  I had 
ever  constructed.  This  effect  was  quite 
unexpected;  but  the  cause  of  it  was  too 
obvious  not  to  be  immediately  discovered. 


J 


158 


THE  FIREPLACE 


PRIMITIVE  BUT  SPACIOUS. 


C O U NT  RUMFORD 


159 


The  flame  rising  from  the  fire  broke  against 
the  part  of  the  back  which  sloped  forward 
over  the  fire,  and  this  part  of  the  back  be- 
ing soon  very  much  heated,  and  in  conse- 
quence of  its  being  very  hot,  (and  when 
the  fire  burnt  bright  it  was  frequently  red 
hot) , it  threw  off  into  the  room  a great 
deal  of  radiant  heat.  It  is  not  possible  that 
this  oblique  surface  (the  slope  of  the  back 
of  the  Fire-place)  could  have  been  heated 
red  hot  merely  by  the  radiant  heat  pro- 
jected by  the  burning  fuel,  for  other  parts 
of  the  Fire-place  nearer  the  fire,  and  bet- 
ter situated  for  receiving  radiant  heat,  were 
never  found  to  be  so  much  heated;  and 
hence  it  appears  that  the  combined  heat, 
in  the  current  of  the  smoke  and  hot 
vapor  which  arises  from  an  open  fire  may 
be,  at  least  in  part,  stopped  in  its  passage 
up  the  Chimney,  changed  into  radiant  heat, 
and  afterwards  thrown  into  the  room. 
This  opens  a new  and  very  interesting  field 
for  experiment,  and  bids  fair  to  lead  to 
important  improvements  in  the  construc- 
tion of  Fire-places.  I have  of  late  been 
much  engaged  in  these  investigations,  and 
am  now  actually  employed  daily  in  mak- 
ing a variety  of  experiments  with  grates 


160 


THE  FIREPLACE 


and  Fire-places,  upon  different  construc- 
tions, in  the  room  I inhabit  in  the  Royal 
Hotel  in  Pall  Mall;  and  Mr.  Hopkins  of 
Greek  St.,  Soho,  Ironmonger  to  his  Ma- 
jesty, and  Mrs.  Hempel,  at  her  Pottery  at 
Chelsea,  are  both  at  work  in  their  differ- 
ent lines  of  business,  under  my  direction, 
in  the  construction  of  Fire-places  upon  a 
principle  entirely  new,  and  which,  I flatter 
myself,  will  be  found  to  be  not  only  elegant 
and  convenient,  but  very  economical.  But 
as  I mean  soon  to  publish  a particular  ac- 
count of  these  Fire-places,  with  drawings 
and  ample  directions  for  constructing  them, 
I shall  not  enlarge  farther  on  the  subject 
in  this  place.  It  may,  however,  not  be 
amiss  just  to  mention  here,  that  these  new 
invented  Fire-places  not  being  fixed  to  the 
walls  of  the  Chimney,  but  merely  set  down 
upon  the  hearth,  may  be  used  in  any  open 
Chimney ; and  that  Chimnies  altered  or 
constructed  on  the  principles  here  recom- 
mended are  particularly  well  adapted  for 
receiving  them. 

The  public  in  general,  and  more  par- 
ticularly those  tradesmen,  and  manufac- 
turers whom  it  may  concern,  are  requested 
to  observe,  that  as  the  author  does  not  in- 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


161 


tend  to  take  out  himself,  or  such  others 
to  take  out,  any  patent  for  any  invention 
of  his  which  may  be  of  public  utility,  all 
persons  are  at  full  liberty  to  imitate  them, 
and  vend  them  for  their  own  emolument, 
when  and  where,  and  in  any  way  they  may 
think  proper ; and  those  who  may  wish  any 
further  information  respecting  any  of  these 
inventions  or  improvements  will  receive 
(gratis)  all  the  information  they  can  re- 
quire by  applying  to  the  author,  who  will 
take  pleasure  in  giving  them  every  assist- 
ance in  his  power. 

Figs.  7,  8 and  9 show  a plan,  elevation, 
and  section  of  a Fire-place  constructed  or 
altered  upon  this  principle.  The  wall  of 
the  Chimney  in  front  at  a,  fig.  9,  being 
only  four  inches  thick,  four  inches  more 
added  to  it  for  the  width  of  the  throat 
would  have  left  the  depth  of  the  Fire-place 
measured  upon  the  hearth  b c only  eight 
inches,  which  would  have  been  too  little; 
a niche  c and  e,  was  therefore  made  in  the 
new  back  of  the  Fire-place  for  receiving 
the  grate,  which  niche  was  six  inches  deep, 
in  the  center  of  it,  below  13  inches  wide, 
(or  equal  in  width  to  the  grate)  and  23 
inches  high ; finishing  above  with  a semi- 


See  page  163 


102 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Fig.  7. 

Tliis  figure  represents  the  ground 
plan  of  a Chimney  Fire-place  in 
which  the  grate  is  placed  in  a 
niche,  and  in  which  the  original 
width  A B of  the  Fire-place  is  con- 
siderably diminished. 

a b is  the  opening  of  the  Fire- 
place in  front  after  it  has  been 
altered,  and  d is  the  back  of  the 
niche  in  which  the  grate  is  placed. 

Fig.  8. 

Shows  a front  view  of  the  same 
Eire-place  after  it  has  been  al- 
tered; where  may  be  seen  the 
grate,  and  the  door-way  for  the 
Chimney-sweeper. 

Fig.  9. 

Shows  a section  of  the  same 
Fire-place,  c d e,  being  a section 
of  the  niche,  g,  the  door-way  for 
the  Chimney-sweeper,  closed  by  a 
piece  of  fire-stone,  and  f the  new 
wall  under  the  mantel  by  which  the 
^height  of  the  opening  of  the  Fire- 
place in  front  is  diminished. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


163 


164 


THE  FIREPLACE 


circular  arch,  which,  in  its  highest  part,  rose 
seven  inches  above  the  upper  part  of  the 
grate.  The  door-way  for  the  Chimney- 
sweeper, which  begins  just  above  the  top  of 
the  niche  may  be  seen  distinctly  in  both  the 
figures  8 and  9.  The  space  marked  g,  fig. 
9,  behind  this  doorway,  may  either  be 
filled  with  loose  bricks,  or  may  be  left  void. 
The  manner  in  which  the  piece  of  stone  f, 
fig.  9,  which  is  put  under  the  mantel  of  the 
Chimney  to  reduce  the  height  of  the  open- 
ing of  the  Fire-place,  is  rounded  ofif  on  the 
inside  in  order  to  give  a fair  run  to  the 
column  of  smoke  in  its  ascent  through  the 
throat  of  the  Chimney,  is  clearly  expressed 
in  this  figure. 

The  plan  fig.  7,  and  elevation  fig.  8,  show 
how  much  the  width  of  the  opening  of  the 
Fire-place  in  front  is  diminished,  and  how 
the  covings  of  the  new  Fire-place  are 
formed. 

A perfect  idea  of  the  form  and  dimension 
of  the  Fire-place  in  its  original  state,  as 
also  after  its  alteration,  may  be  had  by  a 
careful  inspection  of  these  figures. 

I have  added  the  drawing  Figure  10 
merely  to  show  how  a fault,  which  I have 
found  workmen  in  general  whom  I have 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


165 


employed  in  altering  Fire-places  are  very 
apt  to  commit,  is  to  be  avoided.  In  Chim- 
nies  like  that  represented  in  this  figure, 
where  the  jamb  A and  B project  far  into 
the  room,  and  where  the  front  edge  of  the 
marble  slab  o,  which  forms  the  coving,  does 
not  come  so  far  forward  as  the  front  of  the 
jambs,  the  workmen  in  constructing  the 
new  covings  are  very  apt  to  place  them, 
not  in  the  line  c A,  which  they  ought  to  do, 
but  in  the  line  c o,  which  is  a great  fault. 
The  covings  of  a Chimney  should  never 
range  behind  the  front  of  the  jambs,  how- 
ever those  jambs  may  project  into  the 
room ; but  it  is  nof  absolutely  necessary  that 
the  covings  should  make  a finish  with  the 
internal  front  corners  of  the  jambs,  or  that 
they  should  be  continued  from  the  back 
c,  quite  to  the  front  of  the  jambs  at  A. 
They  may  finish  in  front  at  a and  b,  and 
small  corners  A,  o,  a,  may  be  left  for  plac- 
ing the  shovels,  tongs,  etc. 

Were  the  new  coving  to  range  with  the 
front  edge  of  the  old  coving  o,  the  obliquity 
of  the  new  coving  would  be  commonly  too 
great;  or  the  angle  d c o would  exceed  135 
degrees,  which  it  never  should  do,  or  at 
least  by  more  -than  a very  few  degrees. 


166 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Fig.  10. 

This  figure  shows  how  the  cov- 
ings are  to  be  placed  when  the 
front  of  the  covings  (a  and  b)  do 
not  come  so  far  forward  as  the 
front  of  the  openings  of  the  Fire- 
place, or  the  jambs  (A  and  B). 

Fig.  11. 

This  figure  shows  how  the  width 
and  obliquity  of  the  covings  are  to 
be  accommodated  to  the  width  of 
the  back  of  the  Fire-place,  in  cases 
where  it  is  necessary  to  make  the 
hack  very  wide. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


167 


168 


THE  FIREPLACE 


No  inconveniences  of  any  importance  will 
arise  from  making  the  obliquity  of  the  cov- 
ings less  than  what  is  here  recommended ; 
but  many  cannot  fail  to  be  produced  by 
making  it  much  greater;  and  as  I know 
from  experience  that  workmen  are  very  apt 
to  do  this,  I have  thought  it  necessary  to 
warn  them  particularly  against  it. 

Fig.  ii  shows  how  the  width  and  ob- 
liquity of  the  covings  of  a Chimney  are  to 
be  accommodated  to  the  width  of  the  back, 
and  to  the  opening  in  front  and  depth  of 
the  Fire-place,  where  the  width  of  the 
opening  of  the  Fire-place  is  less  than  three 
times  the  width  of  the  new  back. 

As  all  those  who  may  be  employed  in 
altering  Chimnies  may  not,  perhaps,  know 
how  to  set  off  an  angle,  of  any  certain  num- 
ber of  degrees,  or  may  not  have  at  hand 
the  instruments  necessary  for  doing  it,  I 
shall  here  show  how  an  instrument  may  be 
made  which  will  be  found  to  be  very  useful 
in  laying  out  the  work  for  the  brick- 
layers. 

Upon  a board  about  18  inches  wide  and 
4 feet  long,  or  upon  the  floor  or  a table, 
1 draw  three  equal  squares,  A,  B,  C,  fig.  12, 
of  about  12  or  14  inches  each  side,  placed 


COUNT 


RUMFORD 


169 


in  a straight  line,  and  touching  each  other. 
From  the  back  corner  c of  the  center 
square  B,  draw  a diagonal  line  across  the 
square  A,  to  its  outward  front  corner  f, 
and  the  adjoining  angle  formed  by  the  lines 
d c and  c f will  be  equal  to  135  degrees,  the 
angle  which  the  plane  of  the  back  of  a 
Chimney  Fire-place  ought  to  make  with  the 
plane  of  its  covings.  And  a bevel,  m,  n, 
being  made  to  this  angle  with  thin  slips  of 
hard  wood,  this  little  instrument  will  be 
found  to  be  very  useful  in  marking  out  on 
the  hearth,  with  chalk,  the  plans  of  the 
walls  which  are  to  form  the  covings  of  the 
Fire-places. 

As  Chimnies  which  are  apt  to  smoke  will 
require  covings  to  be  placed  less  obliquely 
in  respect  to  the  back  than  others  which 
have  not  that  defect,  it  would  be  convenient 
to  be  provided  with  several  bevels ; three 
or  four,  for  instance,  forming  different 
angles.  That  already  described,  which  may 
be  called  No.  1 will  measure  the  obliquity 
of  the  covings  when  the  Fire-place  can  be 
made  of  the  most  perfect  form ; another 
No.  2 may  be  made  to  a smaller  angle,  d 
c e,  and  another  No.  3,  for  Chimnies  which 
are  very  apt  to  smoke  at  the  still  smaller 


170 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Fig.  12. 

This  figure  shows  how  an  in- 
strument called  a bevel  (m  n), 
useful  in  laying  out  the  work,  in 
altering  Chimney  Fire-places,  may 
be  constructed. 

Fig.  13. 

This  shows  how,  when  the 
breast  of  a Chimney  (d)  is  too 
high,  it  may  be  brought  down  by 
means  of  a wall  (b)  placed  under 
the  mantel,  and  a coating  of 
plaster,  which  in  this  figure  is 
represented  by  the  part  marked  by 
dots. 


Fig.  14. 

This  shows  how  the  breast  of  a 
Chimney  may  be  brought  down 
merely  by  a coating  of  plaster. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


171 


172  THE  FIREPLACE 

angle  d c i ; or  a bevel  may  be  so  contrived, 
by  means  of  a joint,  and  an  arch,  properly 
graduated,  as  to  serve  for  all  the  different 
degrees  of  obliquity  which  it  may  ever  be 
necessary  to  give  to  the  covings  of  Fire- 
places. 

Another  point  of  much  importance,  and 
particularly  in  Chimnies  which  are  apt  to 
smoke,  is  to  form  the  throat  of  the  Chim- 
ney properly,  by  carrying  up  the  back  and 
covings  to  a proper  height. 

This,  workmen  are  apt  to  neglect  to  do, 
probably  on  account  of  the  difficulty  they 
find  in  working  where  the  opening  of  the 
canal  of  the  Chimney  is  so  much  reduced. 
But  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  these 
walls  should  be  carried  up  five  or  six 
inches  at  least  above  the  upper  part  of  the 
breast  of  the  Chimney,  or  to  that  point 
where  the  wall  which  forms  the  front  of 
the  throat  begins  to  rise  perpendicularly. 
If  the  workman  has  intelligence  enough  to 
avail  himself  of  the  opening  which  is 
formed  in  the  back  of  the  Fire-place  to  give 
a passage  to  the  Chimney-sweeper,  he  will 
find  little  difficulty  in  finishing  his  work  in 
the  proper  manner. 

In  placing  the  plumb-line  against  the 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


173 


breast  of  the  Chimney,  in  order  to  ascer- 
tain how  far  the  new  back  is  to  be  brought 
forward,  great  care  must  be  taken  to  place 
it  at  the  very  top  of  the  breast,  where  the 
canal  of  the  Chimney  begins  to  rise  per- 
pendicularly, otherwise,  when  the  plumb- 
line  is  placed  too  low,  or  against  the  slope 
of  the  breast,  when  the  new  back  comes  to 
be  raised  to  its  proper  height,  the  throat  of 
the  Chimney  will  be  found  to  be  too  nar- 
row. 

Sometimes,  indeed  very  often,  the  top 
of  the  breast  of  a Chimney  lies  very  hign, 
or  far  above  the  fire  (see  fig.  13  and  14, 
where  d shows  the  top  of  the  breast  of  the 
Chimney)  ; when  this  is  the  case  it  must 
be  brought  lower,  otherwise  the  Chimney 
will  be  very  apt  to  smoke.  So  much  has 
been  said  in  the  first  chapter  of  this  essay 
of  the  advantages  to  be  derived  from  bring- 
ing the  throat  of  a Chimney  near  to  the 
burning  fuel,  that  I do  not  think  it  neces- 
sary to  enlarge  on  them  in  this  place, — 
taking  it  for  granted  that  the  utility  and 
necessity  of  that  arrangement  have  already 
been  made  sufficiently  evident ; but  a few 
directions  for  workmen,  to  show  them  how 
the  breast  (and  consequently  the  throat) 


174 


THE  FIREPLACE 


shington’s  Old  Open  Fire-Place  and  Brick  Oven  at  Mount  Vernon. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


175 


of  a Chimney  can  most  readily  be  lowered, 
may  not  be  superfluous. 

Where  the  too  great  height  of  the  breast 
of  a Chimney  is  owing  to  the  great  height 
of  the  mantel  (fig.  13)  or,  which  is  the 
same  thing,  or  the  opening  of  the  Fire- 
place in  front,  which  will  commonly  be 
found  to  be  the  case;  the  only  remedy  for 
the  evil  will  be  to  bring  down  the  mantel 
lower;  or  rather,  to  make  the  opening  of 
the  Fire-place  in  front  lower,  by  throwing 
across  the  top  of  this  opening,  from  one 
jamb  to  the  other,  and  immediately  under 
the  mantel,  a very  flat  arch;  a wall  of 
bricks  and  mortar,  supported  on  straight 
bars  of  iron;  or  a piece  of  stone  (h,  fig. 
13).  When  this  is  done,  the  slope  of  the 
old  throat  of  the  Chimney,  or  of  the  back 
side  of  the  mantel,  is  to  be  filled  up  with 
plaster,  so  as  to  form  one  continued  flat, 
vertical,  or  upright  plane  surface  with  the 
lower  part  of  the  wall  of  the  canal  of  the 
Chimney,  and  a new  breast  is  to  be  formed 
lower  down,  care  being  taken  to  round  it 
off  properly,  and  make  it  finish  at  the  lower 
surface  of  the  new  wall  built  under  the 
mantle ; which  wall  forms  in  fact  a new 
mantel. 


176 


THE  FIREPLACE 


MODERN  GREECE. 


COUNT  RUMPORD 


177 


The  annexed  drawing,  fig.  13,  which 
represents  the  section  of  the  Chimney  in 
which  the  breast  has  been  lowered  accord- 
ing to  the  method  here  described,  will  show 
these  various  alterations  in  a clear  and 
satisfactory  manner.  In  this  figure,  as  well 
as  in  most  of  the  others  in  this  essay,  the 
old  walls  are  distinguished  from  the  new 
ones  by  the  manner  in  which  they  are 
shaded ; the  old  walls  being  shaded  by 
diagonal  lines,  and  the  new  ones  by  vertical 
lines.  The  additions,  which  are  formed 
of  plaster,  are  shaded  by  dots. 

Where  the  too  great  height  of  the  breast 
of  a Chimney  is  occasioned,  not  by  the 
height  of  the  mantel,  but  by  the  too  great 
width  of  the  breast,  in  that  case  (which, 
however,  will  seldom  be  found  to  occur) 
this  defect  may  be  remedied  by  covering 
the  lower  part  of  the  breast  with  a thick 
coating  of  plaster,  supported,  if  necessary, 
by  nails  or  studs,  driven  into  the  wall  which 
forms  the  breast,  and  properly  rounded  off 
at  lower  part  of  the  mantel.  (See  fig.  14.) 


178 


THE  FIREPLACE 


I 


EARLY  SIXTEENTH  CENTURY  FIRE-PLACE. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Of  the  Cause  of  the  Ascent  of  Smoke. 

Illustration  of  the  subject  by  familiar 

Comparisons  and  Experiments. Of 

Chimnies  which  affect  and  cause  each  other 

to  smoke. Of  Chimnies  which  smoke 

from  want  of  air. Of  the  Eddies  of 

Wind  which  sometimes  blow  down  Chim- 
nies and  cause  them  to  smoke. 

Though  it  was  my  wish  to  avoid  all  ab- 
struse philosophical  investigations  in  this 
essay,  yet  I feel  that  it  is  necessary  to  say  a 
few  words  upon  the  subject  generally  con- 
sidered as  difficult  to  be  explained,  which  is 
too  intimately  connected  with  the  matter  un- 
der consideration  to  be  passed  over  in 
silence. 

A knowledge  of  the  cause  of  the  as- 
cent of  smoke  being  indispensably  neces- 
sary to  those  who  engage  in  the  improve- 
ment of  Fire-places,  or  who  are  desirous  of 
forming  just  ideas  relative  to  the  operations 


180 


THE  FIREPLACE 


of  fire,  and  the  management  of  heat,  I shall 
devote  a few  pages  to  the  investigation  of 
that  curious  and  interesting  subject.  And 
as  many  of  those  who  may  derive  advantage 
from  these  inquiries  are  not  much  accus- 
tomed to  philosophical  disquisitions,  and 
would  not  readily  comprehend  either  the 
language  or  the  diagrams  commonly  used 
by  scientific  writers  to  explain  the  phe- 
nomena in  question,  I shall  take  pains  to 
express  myself  in  the  most  familiar  manner, 
and  to  use  such  comparisons  for  illustration 
as  may  be  easily  understood. 

If  small  leaden  bullets,  or  large  goose 
shot,  be  mixed  with  peas,  and  the  whole 
well  shaken  in  a bushel,  the  shot  will  sep- 
arate from  the  peas,  and  will  take  its  place 
at  the  bottom  of  the  bushel ; forcing  by  its 
greater  weight  the  peas,  which  are  lighter, 
to  move  upwards,  contrary  to  their  natural 
tendency,  and  take  their  places  above. 

If  water  and  linseed  oil,  which  is  lighter 
than  water,  be  mixed  in  a vessel  by  shaking 
them  together,  upon  suffering  this  mixture 
to  remain  quiet,  the  water  will  descend  and 
occupy  the  bottom  of  the  vessel,  and  the  oil, 
being  forced  out  of  its  place  by  the  greater 
pressure  downwards  of  the  heavier  liquid, 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


181 


will  be  obliged  to  rise  and  swim  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  water. 

If  a bottle  containing  linseed  oil  be 
plunged  in  water  with  its  mouth  upwards, 
and  open,  the  oil  will  ascend  out  of  the 
bottle,  and  passing  upwards  through  the 
mass  of  water,  in  a continued  stream,  will 
spread  itself  over  its  surface. 

In  like  manner,  when  two  fluids  of  any 
kind,  of  different  densities,  come  into  con- 
tact, or  are  mixed  with  each  other,  that 
which  is  lighter  will  be  forced  upwards  by 
that  which  is  the  heavier. 

And  as  heat  rarefies  all  bodies,  fluids  as 
well  as  solids,  air  as  well  as  water,  or  mer- 
cury,— it  follows  that  two  portions  of  the 
same  fluid,  at  different  temperatures,  being 
brought  into  contact  with  each  other,  that 
portion  which  is  the  hottest  being  more 
rarefied,  or  specifically  lighter  than  that 
which  is  colder,  must  be  forced  upwards  by 
this  last,  and  that  is  what  always  happens  in 
fact. 

When  hot  water  and  cold  water  are 
mixed,  the  hottest  part  of  the  mixture  will 
be  found  to  be  at  the  surface  above;  and 
when  cold  air  is  admitted  into  a warmed 
room,  it  will  always  be  found  to  take  its 


182 


THE 


FIREPLACE 


ELIZABETHAN  FIRE-PLACE. 


COUNT-  RUMFORD 


183 


place  at  the  bottom  of  the  room,  the 
warmer  air  being  in  part  expelled,  and  in 
part  forced  upwards  to  the  top  of  the  room. 

Both  air  and  water  being  transparent  and 
colorless  fluids,  their  internal  motions  are 
not  easily  discovered  by  the  sight ; and 
when  these  motions  are  very  slow,  they 
make  no  impression  whatever  on  any  of  our 
senses,  consequently  they  cannot  be  de- 
tected by  us  without  the  aid  of  some  me- 
chanical contrivance : But  when  we  have 
reasons  to  think  that  these  motions  exist, 
means  should  be  sought,  and  may  often  be 
found,  for  rendering  them  perceptible. 

If  a bottle  containing  hot  water  tinged 
with  logwood,  or  any  other  coloring  drug, 
be  immersed,  with  its  mouth  open,  and  up- 
wards, into  a deep  glass  jar  filled  with  cold 
water,  the  ascent  of  the  hot  water  from  the 
bottle  through  the  mass  of  cold  water  will 
be  perfectly  visible  through  the  glass.  Now 
nothing  can  be  more  evident  than  that  both 
of  these  fluids  are  forced,  or  pushed,  and 
not  drawn  upwards.  Smoke  is  frequently 
said  to  be  drawn  up  the  Chimney ; and  that 
a Chimney  draws  well,  or  ill ; but  these  are 
careless  expressions,  and  lead  to  very  erro- 
neous ideas  respecting  the  cause  of  the  as- 


184  THE  FIREPLACE 

cent  of  Smoke,  and  consequently  tend  to 
prevent  the  progress  of  improvements  in 
the  management  of  the  fires.  The  experi- 
ment just  mentioned  with  the  colored  water 
is  very  striking  and  beautiful,  and  it  is  well 
calculated  to  give  a just  idea  of  the  cause  of 
the  ascent  of  the  smoke.  The  cold  water  in 
the  jar,  which,  in  consequence  of  its  supe- 
rior weight  or  density,  forces  the  heated  or 
rarefied  water  in  the  bottle  to  give  way  to 
it,  and  to  move  upwards  out  of  its  way,  may 
represent  the  cold  air  of  the  atmosphere, 
while  the  rising  column  of  colored  water 
will  represent  the  column  of  smoke  which 
ascends  from  a fire. 

If  smoke  required  a Chimney  to  draw  it 
upwards,  how  happens  it  that  smoke  rises 
from  a fire  which  is  made  in  the  open  air, 
where  there  is  no  Chimney? 

If  a tube,  open  at  both  ends,  and  of  such 
;a  length  that  its  upper  end  be  below  the 
surface  of  the  cold  water  in  the  jar,  be  held 
vertically  over  the  mouth  of  the  bottle  which 
contains  the  hot  colored  water,  the  hot 
water  will  rise  up  through  it,  just  as  smoke 
rises  in  a Chimney. 

If  a tube  be  previously  heated  before  it  is 
plunged  in  the  cold  water,  the  ascent  of  the 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


185 


hot  colored  water  will  be  facilitated  and 
accelerated,  in  like  manner  as  smoke  is 
known  to  rise  with  greater  facility  in  a 
Chimney  which  is  hot  than  in  one  in  which 
no  fire  has  been  made  for  a long  time.  But 
in  neither  of  these  cases  can  it  be  said,  that 
the  hot  water  is  drawn  up  the  tube.  The 
hotter  the  water  in  the  bottle  is,  and  the 
colder  that  in  the  jar,  the  greater  will  be 
the  velocity  with  which  the  hot  water  will 
be  forced  up  through  the  tube,  and  the 
same  holds  of  the  ascent  of  hot  smoke  in  a 
Chimney.  When  the  fire  is  intense  and  the 
weather  very  cold,  the  ascent  of  the  smoke 
is  very  rapid ; and  under  such  circumstances 
Chimnies  seldom  smoke. 

As  the  cold  water  of  the  jar  imme- 
diately surrounding  the  bottle  which  con- 
tains the  hot  water  will  be  heated  by  the 
bottle  while  the  other  parts  of  the  water  in 
the  jar  will  remain  cold,  this  water  so 
heated,  becoming  specifically  lighter  than 
that  which  surrounds  it,  will  be  forced  up- 
wards ; and  if  it  finds  its  way  into  the  tube, 
will  rise  up  through  it  with  the  colored  hot 
water.  The  warmed  air  of  a room  heated 
by  an  open  Chimney  Fire-place  has  always 
a tendency  to  rise,  (if  I may  use  that  in- 


186 


THE  FIREPLACE 


An  Old  French  Fire-Place  Tells  Its  Own  Story. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


187 


accurate  expression)  and  finding  its  way 
into  the  Chimney  frequently  goes  off  with 
the  smoke. 

What  has  been  said,  will,  I flatter  my- 
self, be  sufficient  to  explain  and  illustrate 
in  a clear  and  satisfactory  manner  the  cause 
of  the  ascent  of  the  smoke;  and  just  ideas 
upon  that  subject  are  absolutely  necessary 
in  order  to  judge,  with  certainty,  of  the 
merit  of  any  scheme  proposed  for  the  im- 
provement of  Fire-places ; or  to  take  ef- 
fectual measures,  in  all  cases,  for  curing 
smoking  Chimnies.  For,  though  the  per- 
petual changes  and  alterations  which  are 
produced  by  accident,  whim,  and  caprice, 
do  sometimes  lead  to  useful  discoveries,  yet 
the  progress  of  improvements  under  such 
guidance  must  be  exceedingly  slow,  fluc- 
tuating and  uncertain. 

As  to  the  causes  of  the  smoking  of  Chim- 
nies, they  are  very  numerous,  and  various ; 
but  as  a general  idea  of  them  may  be  ac- 
quired from  what  has  already  been  said 
upon  that  subject  in  various  parts  of  the 
essay,  and  as  they  may,  in  all  cases  (a  very 
few  only  excepted)  be  completely  reme- 
died by  making  the  alterations  in  Fire- 
places here  pointed  out,  I do  not  think  it 


188 


THE  FIREPLACE 


necessary  to  enumerate  them  all  in  this 
place,  or  to  enter  into  those  long  details 
and  investigations  which  would  be  required 
to  show  the  precise  manner  in  which  each 
of  them  operates,  either  alone,  or  in  con- 
junction with  others. 

There  is,  however,  one  cause  of  smoking 
Chimnies  which  I think  it  is  necessary  to 
mention  more  particularly.  In  modern 
built  houses,  where  the  doors  and  windows 
are  generally  made  to  close  with  such  accu- 
racy that  no  crevice  is  left  for  the  passage 
of  air  from  without,  the  Chimnies  in  rooms 
adjoining  to  each  other,  or  connected  by 
close  passages,  are  frequently  found  to  af- 
fect each  other,  and  this  is  easy  to  be  ac- 
counted for.  When  there  is  a fire  burning 
in  one  of  the  Chimnies,  as  the  air  necessary 
to  supply  the  current  up  the  Chimney  where 
the  fire  burns  cannot  be  had  in  sufficient 
quantities  from  without,  through  the  very 
small  crevices  of  the  doors  and  windows, 
the  air  in  the  room  becomes  rarefied,  not  by 
heat,  but  by  subtraction  of  that  portion  of 
air  which  is  employed  in  keeping  up  the  fire, 
or  supporting  the  combustion  of  the  fuel, 
and  in  consequence  of  this  rarefication,  its 
elasticity  is  diminished,  and  being  at  last 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


189 


overcome  by  the  pressure  of  the  external 
air  of  the  atmosphere,  this  external  air 
rushes  into  the  room  by  the  only  passage 
left  for  it,  namely,  by  the  open  Chimney 
of  the  neighboring  room ; and  the  flow  of 
air  into  the  Fire-place  and  up  the  Chimney 
where  the  fire  is  burning,  being  constant, 
this  expense  of  air  is  supplied  by  a con- 
tinued current  down  the  other  Chimney. 

If  an  attempt  be  made  to  light  fires  in 
both  Chimnies  at  the  same  time,  it  will  be 
found  to  be  very  difficult  to  get  the  fires 
to  burn,  and  the  rooms  will  be  both  filled 
with  smoke. 

One  of  the  fires, — that  which  is  made  in 
the  Chimney  where  the  construction  of  the 
Fire-place  is  best  adapted  to  facilitate  the 
ascent  of  the  smoke,  or  if  both  Fire-places 
are  on  the  same  construction,  that  which 
has  the  wind  most  favorable,  or  in  which 
the  fire  happens  to  be  soonest  kindled,  will 
overcome  the  other,  and  cause  its  smoke  to 
be  beat  back  into  the  room  by  the  cold  air 
which  descends  through  the  Chimney.  The 
most  obvious  remedy  in  this  case  is  to  pro- 
vide for  the  supply  of  fresh  air  necessary 
to  keeping  up  the  fires  by  opening  a pas- 
sage for  the  external  air  into  the  room  by 


190 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Old  Colonial  Pure  and  Simple. 


COUNT  RUM FORD 


191 


a shorter  road  than  down  one  of  the  Chim- 
nies ; and  when  this  is  done  both  Chimnies 
will  be  found  to  be  effectually  cured. 

But  the  Chimnies  so  circumstanced  may 
very  frequently  be  prevented  from  smoking 
without  opening  any  new  passage  for  the 
external  air,  merely  by  diminishing  the 
draught,  (as  it  is  called)  up  the  Chimnies; 
which  can  be  best  done  by  altering  both 
Fire-places  upon  the  principles  recom- 
mended and  fully  explained  in  the  foregoing 
chapters  of  this  essay. 

Should  the  doors  and  windows  of  a room 
be  closed  with  so  much  nicety  as  to  leave 
no  crevices  by  which  a supply  of  air  can 
enter  sufficient  for  maintaining  the  fire, 
after  the  current  of  air  up  the  Chimney  has 
been  diminished  as  much  as  possible  by 
diminishing  the  throat  of  the  Fire-place ; in 
that  case  there  would  be  no  other  way  of 
preventing  the  Chimney  from  smoking  but 
by  opening  a passage  for  the  admission  of 
fresh  air  from  without;  but  this,  I believe, 
will  very  seldom  be  found  to  be  the  case. 

A case  more  frequently  to  be  met  with 
is,  where  currents  of  air  set  down  Chim- 
nies in  consequence  of  a diminution  and 
rarefaction  of  the  air  in  a room,  occasioned 


192 


THE  FIREPLACE 


MODERN  DUTCH  TREATMENT. 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


193 


by  the  doors  of  the  room  opening  into  pas- 
sages or  courts  where  the  air  is  rarefied 
by  the  action  of  some  particular  winds.  In 
such  cases  the  evil  may  be  remedied,  either 
by  causing  the  doors  in  question  to  close 
more  accurately,  or,  (which  will  be  still 
more  effectual)  by  giving  a supply  of  air 
to  the  passage  or  court  which  wants  it,  by 
some  other  way. 

Where  the  top  of  a Chimney  is  com- 
manded by  high  buildings,  by  cliffs,  or  by 
high  grounds,  it  will  frequently  happen,  in 
windy  weather,  that  the  eddies  formed  in 
the  atmosphere  by  these  obstacles  will  blow 
down  the  Chimney,  and  beat  down  the 
smoke  into  the  room.  This  it  is  true  will  be 
much  less  likely  to  happen  when  the  throat 
of  the  Chimney  is  contracted  and  properly 
formed  than  when  it  is  left  quite  open,  and 
the  Fire-place  badly  constructed ; but  as  it 
is  possible  that  a Chimney  may  be  so  much 
exposed  to  these  eddies  in  very  high  winds 
as  to  be  made  to  smoke  sometimes  when  the 
wind  blows  with  violence  from  a certain 
quarter  it  is  necessary  to  show  how  the  ef- 
fects of  those  eddies  may  be  prevented. 

Various  mechanical  contrivances  have 
been  imagined  for  preventing  the  wind 


194 


THE  FIREPLACE 


from  blowing  down  Chimnies,  and  many 
of  them  have  found  to  be  useful;  there  are, 
however,  many  of  these  inventions,  which, 
though  they  prevent  the  wind  from  blow- 
ing down  the  Chimney,  are  so  ill-contrived 
on  other  accounts  as  to  obstruct  the  ascent 
of  the  smoke,  and  do  more  harm  than  good. 

Of  this  description  are  all  those  Chim- 
ney pots  with  flat  horizontal  plates  or  roofs 
placed  upon  supporters  just  above  the  open- 
ing of  the  pot ; and  most  of  the  caps  which 
turn  with  the  wind  are  not  much  better. 
One  of  the  most  simple  contrivances  that 
can  be  made  use  of,  and  which  in  most 
cases  will  be  found  to  answer  the  purpose 
intended  as  well  or  better  than  more  com- 
plicated machinery,  is  to  cover  the  top  of 
the  Chimney  with  a hollow  truncated  pyra- 
mid or  cone,  the  diameter  of  which  above, 
or  opening  for  the  passage  of  the  smoke,  is 
about  io  or  n inches.  This  pyramid  or 
cone  (for  either  will  answer)  should  be  of 
earthen  ware,  or  of  cast  iron;  its  perpen- 
dicular height  may  be  equal  to  the  diam- 
eter of  its  opening  above,  and  the  diameter 
of  its  opening  below  equal  to  three  times  its 
height.  It  should  be  placed  upon  the  top 
of  the  Chimney,  and  it  may  be  contrived  so 


COUNT  RUMFORD 


195 


as  to  make  an  handsome  finish  to  the  brick- 
work. Where  several  flews  come  out  near 
each  other,  or  in  the  same  stock  of  Chim- 
nies,  the  form  of  a pyramid  will  be  better 
than  that  of  a cone  for  these  covers. 

The  intention  of  this  contrivance  is,  that 
the  winds  and  eddies  which  strike  against 
the  oblique  surface  of  these  covers  may  be 
reflected  upwards  instead  of  blowing  down 
the  Chimney.  The  invention  is  by  no  means 
new,  but  it  has  not  hitherto  been  often  put 
into  practice.  As  often  as  I have  seen  it 
tried  it  has  been  found  to  be  of  use;  I can- 
not say,  however,  that  I was  ever  obliged  to 
have  recourse  to  it,  or  to  any  similar  con- 
trivance ; and  if  I forbear  to  enlarge  upon 
the  subject  of  these  inventions,  it  is  because 
I am  persuaded  that  when  Chimnies  are 
properly  constructed  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  Fire-place,  little  more  will  be  necessary 
to  be  done  at  the  top  of  the  Chimney  than 
to  leave  it  open. 

I cannot  conclude  this  essay  without 
again  recommending,  in  the  strongest  man- 
ner, a careful  attention  to  the  management 
of  fires  in  open  Chimnies ; for  not  only  the 
quantity  of  heat  produced  in  the  combus- 
tion of  fuel  depends  much  on  the  manner 


196 


THE  FIREPLACE 


Ingle  Nook  in  Living  Room. 


COUNT  RUMPORD 


197 


in  which  the  fire  is  managed,  but  even  of 
the  heat  actually  generated  a very  small  part 
only  will  be  saved,,  or  usefully  employed, 
when  the  fire  is  made  in  a careless  and  slov- 
enly manner. 

In  lighting  a coal  fire,  more  wood  should 
be  employed  than  is  commonly  used,  and 
fewer  coals ; and  as  soon  as  the  fire  burns 
bright,  and  the  coals  are  well  lighted,  and 
not  before,  more  coals  should  be  added  to 
increase  the  fire  to  its  proper  size. 

The  enormous  waste  of  fuel  in  London 
may  be  estimated  by  the  vast  dark  cloud 
which  continually  hangs  over  this  great  me- 
tropolis, and  frequently  overshadows  the 
whole  country,  far  and  wide ; for  this  dense 
cloud  is  certainly  composed  almost  entirely 
of  unconsumed  coal,  which,  having  stolen 
wings  from  the  innumerable  fires  of  this 
great  city,  has  escaped  by  the  Chimnies,  and 
continues  to  sail  about  in  the  air,  till,  hav- 
ing lost  the  heat  which  gave  it  volatility,  it 
falls  in  a dry  shower  of  extremely  fine  black 
dust  to  the  ground,  obscuring  the  atmo- 
sphere in  its  descent,  and  frequently  chang- 
ing the  brightest  day  into  more  than 
Egyptian  darkness. 

I never  view  from  a distance,  as  I come 


198 


THE  FIREPLACE 


into  town,  this  black  cloud  which  hangs 
over  London,  without  wishing  to  be  able  to 
compute  the  immense  number  of  chaldrons 
of  coals  of  which  it  is  composed ; for  could 
this  be  ascertained,  I am  persuaded  so  strik- 
ing a fact  would  awaken  the  curiosity  and 
excite  the  astonishment  of  all  ranks  of  the 
inhabitants ; and  perhaps  turn  their  minds 
to  an  object  of  economy  to  which  they  have 
hitherto  paid  little  attention. 


CONCLUSION. 


Though  the  saving  of  fuel,  which  will 
result  from  the  improvements  in  the  forms 
of  Chimney  Fire-places  here  recommended, 
will  be  very  considerable,  yet  I hope  to  be 
able  to  show  in  a future  essay,  that  still 
greater  savings  may  be  made,  and  more  im- 
portant advantages  derived  from  the  intro- 
duction of  improvements  I shall  propose  in 
kitchen  Fire-places. 

I hope  likewise  to  be  able  to  show  in  an 
essay  on  “Cottage  Fire-places,”  which  I am 
now  preparing  for  publication,  that  three- 
quarters,  at  least,  of  the  fuel  which  cottages 
now  consume  in  cooking  their  victuals,  and 
in  warming  their  dwellings,  may  with  great 
ease,  and  without  any  expensive  apparatus, 
be  saved. 


“ THE  HEARTH  STONE  IS 
THE  CORNER  STONE  OF 
THE  NATION’S  WEAL.” 


•ate. 


THE  JACKSON  VENTILATING 
GRATE. 


IT  is  acknowledged  by  all  authorities  on 
the  subject  that  the  most  healthful  heat 
is  that  of  the  open  fireplace.  For 
this  reason  the  open  grate  has  always  been 
a favorite  in  our  homes,  and  it  is  only  be- 
cause in  the  ordinary  form  it  is  such  a 
great  consumer  of  fuel,  and  so  feeble  in  its 
heating  capacity,  that  it  has  been  supplant- 
ed by  more  economical  kinds  of  heating  ap- 
paratus. 

The  construction  of  the  Jackson  Venti- 
lating Grate  remedies  this  defect,  and  while 
giving  all  the  cheer  and  beauty  of  the  open 
fire,  over  four  times  the  usual  amount  of 
heat  is  secured.  This  is  done  by  means  of 
heat-saving  chambers  at  the  back,  sides  and 
top,  so  that  the  warmth  that  in  the  ordinary 
fireplace  is  lost  in  the  brickwork  and  up 
the  chimney  is  in  this  system  brought  into 
the  room  in  the  form  of  warm  air.  Because 
of  the  warm,  pure  air  introduced  through 
the  frame  of  the  grate  itself,  the  ventilation 
is  far  superior  to  other  forms  of  open  fires 
and  the  usual  cold  drafts  are  stopped. 


Send  for  catalogue  showing  con- 
struction, designs  and  sizes;  also 
for  catalogue  of  mantels,  andirons 
and  other  fixtures.  Edwin  A. 
Jackson  & Bro.,  50  Beekman 
Street,  New  York. 


VENTILATING  GRATE. 


The  Ventilating  Grate  is  made  in  two 
forms ; one  heating  one  room  only,  the 
other  (as  shown  in  cut)  heating  on  two 
floors. 

Air  entering  at  the  cold  air  inlet  is  heated 
as  it  passes  over  the  back,  and  enters  the 
room  through  the  register  in  the  front  of 
the  grate,  and  passes  also  to  the  room  on 
the  floor  above.  The  heat  may  all  be  turned 
upstairs  if  desired,  or  part  to  each  room. 

Two  rooms  on  the  floor  above  may  be 
heated  if  they  are  not  unusually  large.  The 
volume  of  warm  air  entering  is  equal  to 
over  180  cubic  feet  per  minute.  This,  with 
the  radiation  from  No.  3 size,  will  heat 
about  7,000  cubic  feet  of  space  in  midwin- 
ter. 

The  principle  applied  in  these  grates  is 
the  same  as  that  of  the  furnace,  combined 
with  the  direct  radiation  of  the  open  fire. 
The  result  is  that  one  of  these  grates  will 
heat  two  or  three  rooms  with  fuel  that,  in 
an  ordinary  grate,  would  not  warm  one 
room. 

The  ashpit  connection  is  not  essential, 
and  an  ashpan  is  sent  if  preferred.  How- 
ever, when  the  Grate  is  on  the  first  floor,  it 
will  be  found  a convenience  to  have  an 
ashpit,  as  shown. 

Send  for  catalogue  showing  view 
of  the  heating  chambers,  sizes, 
etc. ; also  for  catalogue  of  mantels 
and  other  fireplace  fixtures.  Edwin 
A.  Jackson  & Bro.,  50  Beekman 
Street,  New  York. 


Section  of  the  Jackson  Ventilating  Grate. 


FOR  GRATES  HAYING  ASHPITS. 


It  is  the  experience  of  all  who  use  grates 
connected  with  ashpits,  that  even  when  the 
masonry  of  the  pit  is  well  constructed,  an 
intolerable  nuisance  of  dust  and  ashes  is 
experienced  whenever  the  fire  is  raked. 
This  arises  from  the  fact  that  when  hot 
ashes  are  dropped  into  the  cold  air  of  the 
pit,  an  upward  current  is  started,  which 
wafts  the  ashes  into  the  room. 

The  Jackson  Ashtrap  prevents  this  up- 
ward escape  of  dust,  and  it  is  the  only  ash- 
trap or  ashpit  cover  that  will.  It  consists, 
as  is  shown,  of  a rectangular  box,  the  bot- 
tom of  which  fits  obliquely  upon  it,  being  so 
arranged  that  by  a slight  pressure  with  a 
poker  on  the  projection  B,  the  bottom,  or 
valve,  is  withdrawn  from  under  the  ashes, 
and  assumes  the  position  shown  by  the  dot- 
ted lines.  When  the  pressure  is  removed 
from  B the  valve  instantaneously  closes,  ex- 
cluding all  dust  from  the  room.  The  ashes 
can  remain  in  the  trap  until  cool.  It  is 
dumped  with  the  slightest  pressure,  the  ac- 
tion is  “as  quick  as  a wink,”  and  never  fails 
to  be  effective. 

This  trap  can  be  used  in  any  open  fire- 
place having  an  ashpit,  in  which  case  a bor- 
der is  supplied  for  holding  the  trap  in  the 
hearth.  Border,  n *4"  long  and  9"  wide; 
Trap,  9 j/2"  long  and  7"  wide. 

Cost  is,  net,  $2.00. 

Send  for  catalogue  of  dampers, 
ashpit  doors  and  ashtraps.  Edwin 
A.  Jackson  & Bro.,  50  Beekman 
Street,  New  York. 


Construction  of  the  Jackson  Ashtrap. 


VENTILATING  GRATE. 


FRANKLIN  STOVES 

In  1742  Benjamin  Franklin  invented  “an 
open  stove  for  the  better  warming  of 
rooms,”  which  apparatus  he  named  the 
“Pennsylvania  Fireplace.”  While  primarily 
an  open  stove,  the  appearance  was  that  of 
an  open  grate,  as  the  “machine”  (as  Frank- 
lin termed  it)  was  connected  with  a regular 
fireplace,  and  in  a regular  mantelpiece. 

Those  who  want  the  cheer  and  beauty  of 
the  open  grate  in  a room  where  there  is  no 
fireplace  will  have  their  wants  filled,  for 
these  Franklins  can  be  connected  by  a stove 
pipe  with  any  chimney.  The  Franklins  give 
much  more  heat  than  does  the  ordinary 
grate,  and  especially  when  they  stand  out 
in  the  room,  as  did  the  originals. 

The  design  here  shown  is  a copy  of 
a Colonial  pattern.  It  is  made  in  three 
sizes.  They  are  arranged  for  wood  or  coal 
or  gas.  The  coal  grate  can  be  lifted  out 
and  andirons  for  wood  be  substituted. 

Send  for  catalogue  showing  sizes 
and  other  designs.  Edwin  A.  Jack- 
son  & Bro.,  50  Beekman  Street, 

New  York. 


The  Mayflower  Franklin. 


FIREPLACES 


OLD  Fashioned  Rum- 
ford  Fireplaces,  guar- 
anteed to  heat  and  ventilate 
without  smoking.  Manu- 
factured of  asbestite  slabs. 
Crated  and  ready  for  im- 
mediate shipment  to  any 
part  of  the  world. 

Write  for  catalogue  of 
sizes  and  prices.  Install 
these  forms  in  fireplaces 
already  built,  and  under  no 
circumstances  build  new 
fireplaces  without  them. 
G.  Curtis  Gillespie,  M.E., 
Architect,  7 Warren  St., 
New  York,  N.  Y.,  U.  S.  A. 


RENAISSANCE  IN  ITALY 


Collated  by  the  late  Arthur  Lyman  Tucker- 
man,  Architect,  author  of  ‘‘A  Short  History  of 
Architecture,”  “Design,”  “Vignola,”  etc.  The 
subjects  for  this  work  were  carefully  selected 
by  the  author  while  on  a tour  throuugh  Italy, 
and  comprise  the  best  examples  of  Italian 
Renaissance  Architecture.  The  plates  are 
10  x 13  inches,  on  heavy  white  paper,  13  x 17 
inches,  made  expressly  for  this  work.  All 
plates  are  printed  by  hand  by  the  gelatine 
process  in  colors  to  suit  subjects.  Ninety 
plates  in  portfolio.  Price  reduced  from  $40 
to  $15. 

Note. — But  a few  copies  of  this  elegant  work 
left.  Orders  should  be  sent  at  once,  as  it  will 
not  be  reprinted. 

“I  am  so  pleased  with  Mr.  Tuckerman’s  selec- 
tion of  the  subjects,  and  with  the  good  style  in 
which  they  are  published,  that  I herewith  sub- 
scribe for  a set  to  go  in  the  Avery  Architectural 
Library  at  Columbia  College,  also  for  a set  to  be 
given  as  a prize  at  the  annual  awards  made  to 
students  in  the  art  schools  of  the  Metropolitan 
Museum  of  Art.”— S.  P.  Avery. 


RENAISSANCE  IN  FRANCE 


“The  Renaissance  Under  the  Valois.”  Illus- 
trated by  41  plates  and  13  wood  cuts,  to- 
gether with  17  pages  of  text.  By  Chas.  T. 
Matthews,  Architect.  One  large  folio  volume, 
handsomely  bound  in  cloth,  size  13  x 17. 

Price,  $20.  Reduced  to  $15. 

£2fOnly  twelve  copies  of  this  elaborate  work 
left,  and  orders  should  be  sent  at  once,  as  it  will 
not  be  reprinted. 


WM.  T.  COMSTOCK,  Publisher 
23  Warren  Street  New  York  City 


AMERICAN  RENAISSANCE 


A review  of  Domestic  Architecture.  By  Joy 
Wheeler  Dow,  Architect.  This  book  is  well 
worthy  a place  on  the  shelves  of  an  archi- 
tectural library.  Its  value  is  in  its  sugges- 
tions, and  the  architect  or  student  of  archi- 
tecture will  find  it  deserving  of  careful  peru- 
sal. In  taking  up  the  subject  of  architecture 
in  this  country  the  author  has  endeavored  to 
show  that  by  the  adaptation  of  the  various 
styles  to  the  needs  of  our  people,  there  has 
been  developed  a special  style  which  he 
terms  “American  Renaissance.”  As  a book 
of  reference  the  work  is  enhanced  in  value 
by  a copious  index,  where  every  item  of  in- 
terest, every  allusion  bearing  upon  the  au- 
thor’s theory  of  architecture  has  been  cata- 
logued. It  is  something  more  than  an  index— 
a concordance  of  the  text  and  diagram  of  the 
subject.  The  selection  of  illustrations  is 
especially  noteworthy,  embracing  many  rare 
and  beautiful  examples  of  American  domestic 
architecture  placed  here  within  reach  of  the 
public  for  the  first  time,  while  the  old  fav- 
orites are  well  represented.  Ninety-six  half- 
tone plates  and  182  pages  of  text.  One  large 
8vo  vol.  (8x10%),  handsomely  bound  in 
cloth,  gilt  top;  price  §4.00. 


WM.  T.  COMSTOCK,  Publisher 
23  Warren  Street  New  York  City 


Tvt-  'U . xr» 


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